Mirror of Zero
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: All Louise wanted was a familiar to prove once and for all that she was a mage worthy of her title. Instead she got a master sorceress and an elven archer. How is she supposed to deal with this mess?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Prologue

The heavy iron-bound gates exploded inwards with a bright flare of Fade-green energy, and killing the Qunari bracing both the gate and the barricade beyond with their bodies. Movement flickered through the clouds of dust and grit, and the commander barked, the Qunari hurling their javelins at the ruined gateway.

They didn't strike their target, the javelins breaking against a transparent barrier that flickered upon impact. " _Saarebas…!_ " the Qunari commander spat as his men drew their swords. Tevinter soldiers charged through the gateway, encased in plate mail with conical helmets and carrying bucklers and arming swords.

The Qunari held fast against the Tevinter soldiers storming the fort. The Tevinter soldiers broke like waves against rock, the ringing sound of steel against steel echoing in the courtyard as Tevinter and Qunari blades crossed with each other, mixed with the shouts of men in the grip of battle and the screams and moans of the dying. Bright red blood from Human and Qunari alike sprayed into the air or pooled on the ground, and then with a shout from their commander the Qunari reformed their line and counter-charged the Tevinters.

The Tevinters tried to hold their ground, but were swept away by the hulking warriors of the Qunari. Qunari swords and axes smashed shields and swords alike into shards, cleaving through armour and sending Tevinter soldiers dying to the ground.

The Tevinter lines broke, surviving soldiers fleeing back towards the gate with the Qunari in hot pursuit. And then through the gateway strode a figure, clothed in black, with a cloak and a cowl and hood of matching colour. Greaves, arm-guards, and a cuirass of dark-red dragon bone protected key areas of her body, and the staff in one hand glowed fitfully with power.

The Tevinter soldiers slowed at the sight, though for many it was a death sentence, dying with Qunari swords and axes to their backs. Others more died as they parted around the magister, only to run into her elite guard. Encased in silverite plate, they slew the soldiers attempting to flee and cowing the remainder to turn and fight.

But the magister was already ahead of them. Sweeping her staff up into both hands, she fired a deadly, sustained burst of energy in an arc and ripped the Qunari front line apart. Qunari died screaming by the dozen, their torsos reduced to smoking wrecks.

Roaring in rage, the Qunari commander charged the magister who coolly held her ground. Instead, she raised one hand, and holding it out towards the Qunari flared with a bright red aura. The aura surrounded her and the charging Qunari, who staggered, then slowed, and coming to a halt knelt before the magister, broken and bound by the magister's blood magic.

Enraged at the sight, the surviving Qunari charged. The elite guard and the Tevinter soldiery alike made to stop them, but the magister held her ground. She gestured, and the hapless Qunari commander rose and led the charge against those who were once his loyal fellow warriors.

He slew many, but took many wounds in turn as he and the Tevinters slew those of the garrison who did not flee into the tower. As Magister Lydia Rubricatus approached the tower entrance, she glanced at her slave. The Qunari was shaking, tears mingling with blood and tears as he fought the chains which bound his mind and soul, his resolve fuelled by grief and rage.

Lydia stared for a moment, and then stepping past swept out with her staff, the glaive attached to the head severing the Qunari's head from its body with an explosive shower of blood. "Soldiers of the Imperium…" she said as she blew open the tower's doors with her staff. "…advance!"

* * *

Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere worriedly watched as the Springtime Summoning Ceremony continued.

Along with the other members of her class, she was in the academy courtyard, their attention focused on Guiche as he stood before the summoning circle chanting the ancient words to summon a familiar that would be his lifelong guide and companion. Louise noted that while precisely-drawn and the runic symbols' symmetry was more than satisfactory, it could be better.

Not that she would have said it aloud: it was considered very bad manners to speak while another was performing the ancient and sacred rite. Not only was it a breach of the solemnity of the occasion, it could disrupt the summoning, and since by law and custom it could only be performed once, if it failed or was marred in one way or another, she would have impaired her fellow noble irreparably.

It had happened in the past, summoning rituals disrupted by design or by accident by another. In some cases they had even led to feuds that reduced entire bloodlines to ruin.

Louise had no desire – either for herself or her family – for such an outcome.

Though, if she did speak her opinion, her teacher would probably agree with her. The 'Zero' might have…difficulties, when it came to applying her knowledge, but her grasp of the theory was always the best in her class.

 _Now if only the application could match the theory…_

The summoning was approaching its conclusion, Guiche sweating hard as more and more of his magic was expended to complete the ritual. The ancient words flowed from his lips, burst of multi-coloured light erupting from his rose wand as he moved it back and forth in sympathetic movements to his spell.

Louise rolled her eyes as Guiche de Gramont flourished his wand dramatically as he concluded the summoning ritual, and pointed it at his summoning circle. There was a flash of light, and an animal appeared in the middle. Louise narrowed her eyes, trying to identify it.

…

…

…

A mole…?

What kind of…well, he was an Earth Element user so it fit but still: a mole.

Guiche however, was very delighted. "A mole…!" he shouted, scooping up the animal in his arms with melodramatic theatricality. "What a magnificent creature you are, that I have called forth from the bosom of the gracious Earth with the Founder's guidance! A name you shall have, one most worthy of your beauty and strength!"

Louise barely managed to suppress the urge to palm her face as Guiche gushed over his familiar which he named 'Verdandi' before proudly presenting it to the rest of their class. Most were comradely congratulatory of Guiche, including Louise, though some she noted with distaste – specifically his female admirers within the class – were more…effusive.

As Guiche took his place among the students who'd finished summoning their familiars, the class instructor, Professor Colbert called the next students in their turn. Louise scowled as her rival Kirche von Anhalt-Zerbst flashed a triumphant grin at Louise before performing the ritual, and winced as the busty redhead summoned a fiery salamander.

Tabitha, the silent and stoic bookworm was probably the height of the ceremony so far, summoning a blue, winged dragon which affectionately nuzzled its new mistress after the bonding had been completed. Tabitha returned the gesture with gentle pats, and then leading her familiar away returned to one or another of the books that she always carried with her.

On and on it continued, Louise growing increasingly-worried as the ceremony proceeded. And finally it was her turn. "Louise le Blanc de la Valliere…!" Professor Colbert called, and Louise stepped forward.

The professor nodded encouragingly at her, as he usually did. "It's your turn, young lady." He said with a reassuring smile. "You can do it."

" _Easier said than done…_ " Louise worriedly thought.

For all her skill in theory, Louise wasn't so much as _bad_ at application as she was unable to perform it _at all_. No matter what spell she used, it would always result in an explosion. The situation had been so bad that it had led to the rather disparaging nickname given to her by her peers: the Zero.

But she couldn't fail here.

Even a weakling familiar was preferable to that.

Her difficulties in magic went back to long before the academy, and despite the supportive attitude of her father the Duke de la Valliere and her older sister Cattleya, the same could not be said of her mother and eldest sister. Both the Duchess de la Valliere and Eleanor constantly pressed her about her failures, reminding her of her obligations not just as a noble and a member of House de la Valliere, but also of their family's status as a branch of the nation's royal family.

Thus far she'd been tolerated, but if she failed this ritual…

…well, expulsion from the academy would be the least of her worries. If she was lucky she'd be confined to the family estate for life, kept out of sight as a potential embarrassment. And in the worst case…well, there went her noble title, and she might even be expelled from the family.

Louise suppressed a shudder as she drew her summoning circle: the consequences of failure were terrible to contemplate. Colbert watched as she drew her circle, and nodded in approval. As usual, Louise's work was top-class, easily the best he'd seen in her class, though Tabitha came a close second.

Now, hopefully it would work. If not…well, Colbert knew the consequences as well as she, and it would break his heart to see a smart and promising girl like Louise suffer the fate of the magical blanks that popped up every so often in magical bloodlines.

Finally, Louise finished her work, and rising glanced at Colbert. He nodded his assent, and raising her wand began the familiar summoning ritual.

* * *

Lydia turned the Qunari's blow with her staff, slamming the axehead into the stone wall on one side, and using the momentum stabbed the spearhead at the base into the Qunari's leg. As the ox-man screamed, she swung her weapon, the glaive opening up the ox-man from shoulder to hip, Captain Decimus behind her putting the gurgling ox-man out of his misery as he fell past the magister.

Another Qunari on the landing above fired a repeating crossbow at Lydia as she advanced up the stairs, but she swept them out of the air with precise parries of her staff. As the crossbow clicked empty, she levelled her staff and fired a green blast of magical energy that destroyed the Qunari's chest. Quickly advancing up to the landing, she blew the iron-bound door open and entered the chamber beyond.

Five Qunari were inside.

All of them were lying dead on the floor, foam drying on their lips and on the nearby floor.

An elf was sitting beside the window, dressed in drab field attire under a hooded cloak. "Sylvia…" Lydia remarked. "…hopefully whatever you used to poison these idiots won't poison us as well."

Sylvia smiled wryly at the magister's comment. "You're mean magister." She accused, and Lydia laughed.

"Fine, perhaps I was." She admitted. She then glanced around the room, and then taking an offered sheaf of papers from Sylvia leafed through them. She raised an eyebrow. "This is all there is?"

In response, Sylvia jerked a thumb in the direction of a safe in the wall. Dwarf runes could be seen inscribed on the frame, and Lydia swore. "Damnation…" she said. "…dwarf work…? This is going to take time to crack."

She turned and gestured to the elite guards present, others leading the clearance of the tower's lower floors, and the rest of the fort outside of the tower. "Get a message back to camp." She ordered. "I want dwarf engineers here within the hour."

"Yes magister." They said before leaving, and leaving Lydia alone with Sylvia and Guard Captain Decimus, who stayed on guard by the door.

"Now then…" Lydia began only to be cut off by a rumbling boom, the sound of something large and heavy striking fast and hard, and the fort and tower shaking as a result. The two Tevinters rushed to the window, Decimus holding by the door. The magister began to swear again.

In the distance, past the cliffs she could see at least one Qunari fire-ship, and with several puffs of smoke its cannons fired again. "A damn patrol…" she said angrily. "…a damn patrol is going to foil our objectives in this theatre? Those damn…"

Again, the magister was cut off as green light lit her up from below, the magister's eyes widening as she sensed the opening of a Fade rift nearby. Specifically, it was right below her feet.

"Magister, no…!" Decimus and Sylvia shouted, reaching out to the magister as she fell into the rift. The magister managed to catch Sylvia's hand…and was promptly pulled in after her. As they fell into the Fade, the rift closed shut behind them, the guard captain falling flat on the floor.

They were gone.

* * *

A/N

And that's a rap. Let's see how the Halkeginians deal with a Tevinter magister. And of course, there's that elf of hers too.

The title is a hint to Magister Lydia and Sylvia's characters. Feel free to guess why that's the case.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 1

There was a flash of light, and then the summoning circle exploded with a thunderous boom that blew Louise from her feet to land on her rump a few feet away. The blast also knocked back others among her classmates, those closest to her attempted summoning, and they in turn knocked others back.

Louise for her part could only stare in horror as she lowered her arms – having raised them instinctively to protect her face from the blast – at the smoke filling the air from what was once her summoning circle. A crushing sense of failure gripped her heart and fell on her shoulders, along with an icy, sinking feeling of despair in the pit of her stomach.

She had failed.

No…she couldn't have…but…

She glanced at Professor Colbert, who was coming closer with a grave expression on his face. And she could also hear the murmurings of her classmates as they recovered and saw what had happened.

"Typical Zero…"

"Figures she'd mess this up too."

"Why does she even bother?"

"Well she's gone after this."

"No doubt about it."

Comments like the last one drove the situation home, and scrambling to her feet Louise turned to her teacher. "Professor…!" she pleaded. "Could I please try the summoning one more time? I messed it up this time but…!"

Colbert sighed and shook his head, raising a hand for Louise's silence. "I'm sorry Miss de la Valliere." He said as Louise fell silent, her face reflecting a mixture of despair and resignation. "But you know law and custom. The familiar summoning ritual may only be performed once, and it seems…"

Colbert broke off as coughing could be heard from inside the smoke, followed by a feminine voice filled with concern. "Magister Lydia, ubi es?" it asked loudly in accented Romalian.

The class fell silent, as did Louise and Colbert. "Sunt tibi bene?" the voice asked again, the smoke clearing to reveal a young woman stumbling about waving her hands in front of her to clear the smoke. She was dressed in drab clothes that wouldn't look out of place for a huntsman or an army scout, with a hooded cloak in matching colour draped over her shoulders.

Long blonde hair reached down to her shoulders, while a bow was holstered behind her and a long-bladed dagger sheathed at her waist. What caught everyone's attention however, were the long, pointed ears poking out from her hair.

"E-e-e-e-elf…!" Louise shrieked, the brief elation that her summoning had succeeded turning to horror at the summoning of an Elf.

The shriek drew the Elf's attention, and threw the class into panic. Screaming, the other students fled with their familiars to the open-mouthed surprise of the Elf. "Quid est…?" it asked in surprise. And then it looked towards her, Louise stumbling back on her own even as Colbert moved past her with speed surprising for an old man, pushing her back as he held out his staff and cast a spell.

Magic flared and erupted into life, orange flames appearing and twisting into a serpent-like form that hurled itself at the Elf. The Elf's eyes went wide as it stumbled back, holding out her hands to shield herself from the inferno.

A black blur placed itself between Colbert's spell and the Elf, and the flames exploded as it collided with outstretched hands. The flames twisted and pooled into the black-clothed mage's hands, and Louise gasped as she saw that the mage was _Human_.

It didn't make any sense. Why would a Human mage protect an Elf?

The mage suddenly swept out her arms, the flames erupting into a dense jet of fire that rocketed straight for Colbert. The aging mage pushed Louise away and barely managed to cast a barrier in time, but the rushed summoning meant it managed only to absorb part of the spell's power, the rest enough to hurl Colbert back several feet.

The mage gestured, but Colbert rolled out of the way, magic sparkling as it fizzled against the ground. The mage gestured again, a staff flying into her hand. It looked to be made of black metal of some sort, blue runes glowing along the haft, the bottom terminating in a spearhead while the head featured a glaive that flared green with magical energy as the mage gripped her staff.

She swung it into both hands and fired several bolts of green energy at Colbert. Colbert swung his staff, parrying the blasts away. The mage continued to attack with her staff, all the while chanting in an unknown language as a magic circle glowed beneath her feet.

Colbert, realizing that he couldn't let the mage finish what she was casting, dodged the last attack before launching a spell of his own, and then charged in. The mage parried the blast, and then dodging Colbert opened up the distance before slamming her staff against the ground.

A magic circle flashed and expanded to cover the battlefield. Louise blinked and looked around her for any sign of what had happened, the spell seemingly having fizzled out. Or so it seemed: Colbert was looking surprised, but less belligerent now. And then the mage spoke, Louise surprised seeing as it was in accented Tristainian.

Or rather, she spoke the dominant Gallian dialect of the common language between Gallia and Tristain, while the accent was an unusual but recognizable Romalian accent. "There now…" the mage said. "…since neither of us can use magic for the time being, perhaps you'd be less belligerent Orlesian?"

"Orlesian…?" Colbert echoed in surprise.

* * *

Lydia blinked in surprise before glancing at Sylvia who'd gone to ground as the mages had fought. She then turned back to the other mage. "Yes enchanter…" Lydia said. "…this is the Orlesian Empire, is it not? The language of your…apprentices was audible despite the ringing in my ears."

She took a glance around the grounds, which were unusually large and the buildings beyond less…imposing, than Circles usually were. Circles of Magi were usually imposing and for a reason: in the Imperium because they were centres of government as well as magical academies and repositories of lore, and in Thedas because they were also Templar strongholds and to prevent or dissuade mages from escaping or being broken out.

This Circle certainly didn't seem to follow that trend, though it had to be a Circle. Where else would one find so many young mage apprentices? Unless of course it was an apostate Circle, though in that case why was it so indefensible? If the Templars found them, this place would turn into a charnel house.

"Forgive me…" the enchanter said. "…however there seems to be a misunderstanding on your part. This is the Tristain Academy of Magic in the Kingdom of Tristain."

"I've never heard of the Kingdom of Tristain, enchanter…?"

"Colbert, Jean Colbert…" the enchanter said. "…I am a professor of this academy."

"I see." Lydia said. "I am Lydia Rubricatus, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium. As I said, I've never heard of the Kingdom of Tristain."

"Neither have I heard of this Tevinter Imperium, or the Orlesian Empire you mentioned earlier." Colbert replied. "Are they perhaps nations to the east? Somewhere beyond the Rub' al Khali…?"

"I've never heard of such a place." Lydia said, relaxing slightly but also narrowing her eyes. "I do however have some theories. Perhaps we can call a truce, until we can get to the bottom of this, on our honour as ranking mages?"

"Yes we could." Colbert agreed, but then glanced worriedly at Sylvia. Lydia smiled slightly.

"I do not know what you have against Elves." She said. "I would however appreciate it if you do not attempt to kill my retainer."

"Of course…" Colbert said, moving to help Louise up to her feet. Lydia glanced in her direction, her eyes narrowing and widening in quick succession. Louise glanced in her direction, taking in the other mage.

She was tall, about as tall as her mother, dressed in black clothing under a cloak with a cowl and hood, also in black. Her hair was strawberry-blonde, much like Louise's own she noticed, and…her face was strangely familiar, almost like looking into a mirror one might say.

Though, that was probably just the hair, which was cut just short of the older mage's shoulders. Louise also noticed that the mage was wearing armour of dark-red, a cuirass and a pair each of armguards and greaves, along with stained boots of something that looked like high-quality leather of some sort.

"…we should discuss this matter in private." Colbert offered. "The headmaster's office, perhaps…? I give you my word that you and yours will be allowed to come and go in peace."

The magister narrowed her eyes, and after a hushed discussion in an unknown language with her retainer – Louise still had trouble wrapping her mind around how a Human could have an Elf as a retainer – before nodding in assent. As the magister voiced her assent, Louise groaned and palmed her face.

"Is something wrong, apprentice?" the magister asked.

"My mother…" Louise replied, uncaring with everything that's happened. "…how am I going to explain this? Not only did I botch the familiar summoning, I summoned a high noble of a far-off country along with her retainer…"

" _That_ was your doing…?" Lydia asked.

"That's right." Louise answered despondently.

Lydia narrowed her eyes and then chuckling followed Colbert as he led them towards the academy buildings. "Apprentice…" she said. "…you pulled two people through the Fade, something that should _not_ be possible. True, it seems accidental on your part, but if anything it shows you have promise. Yes, plenty of promise and with a bit of work…"

"The Fade…?" Louise echoed. "What's that?"

Lydia glanced at her in surprise, and then narrowing her eyes shook her head. "No…" she said. "…it's nothing."

 _How can these people use magic but not know of the Fade? Also, where is this place? Are we somewhere to the far north, across the Great Ocean…?_

Lydia glanced at Louise from the corner of her eyes. " _But her appearance…_ " she thought. "… _how is that possible? No, it's not just her. This place may or may not be Thedas, but if it is how can they_ _ **not**_ _know of the Imperium or Orlais? And if it is not, how could they possibly be speaking Orlesian?_ "

She glanced over to Sylvia walking behind them. "Sylvia, cover your head." She ordered. "I've managed to negotiate a truce for now, but these people apparently have some bad history with Elves. I'd rather not push the issue until we know more about this place."

"Yes magister." Sylvia said with a nod, and pulled her hood over her head.

* * *

"You make an interesting story, magister." Headmaster Ormond said. Lydia had just finished explaining her circumstances to him: she and Sylvia had stormed a Qunari fort in southern Seheron when they were pulled into a Fade rift, after which they found themselves in Halkeginia and forced to defend against a hostile mage. "As one mage to another, I apologize for the inconvenience caused to you by becoming entangled within young Miss de la Valliere's summoning ritual."

Lydia gave a small bow to acknowledge the apology. Louise for her part was sitting at a chair on one side of the room, still looking shell-shocked that she'd summoned a high noble from a distant country (together with an _Elven_ retainer of all things).

"Rest assured…" Osmond said. "…it was not intentional on her part, and we will make every effort to see you home. Until then, we will offer you our hospitality, and I give you my word to present you favourably to our nation's rulers."

"You have my thanks, first enchanter."

"First enchanter…?"

Lydia coughed. "My apologies…" she said. "…force of habit…first Enchanter is the title given to the head of a Circle of Magi."

"I see." Osmond said with a nod. "A Circle of Magi is a magical academy in your homeland I take it?"

"Yes…" Lydia said. "…in part, that is. In the Imperium Circles of Magi also double as local government centres, with first enchanters and their senior enchanters serving as senior civil servants and government leaders within Imperial provinces and districts designated as their responsibility by the Imperial Senate."

"I see." Osmond said with another nod. "But I infer from your words that is not universally the case."

"It is not." Lydia said with a note of contempt. "In the Imperium mages rule as is only proper, but Thedas is…not as civilized as the Imperium."

"Ah…" Osmond noted. So the Imperium's neighbours weren't ruled by mages. That was something of an alien concept as far as Osmond was concerned, but then again as the magister seemed to be not from Halkeginia, it was understandable. At least the Imperium was a proper magocracy. "…if I might ask, what is the rank of magister relative to that of first enchanter?"

"Superior…" Lydia replied. "…magisters are above and beyond the Circles of Magi. We form the upper house of the Imperial Senate, and govern the Imperium in the Archon's name."

"And this Imperial Senate is…?"

"The governing body of the Imperium…" Lydia replied. "…it is presided over by the Archon of course, as he is the ruler of the Imperium. The upper house is, as mentioned, composed of the magisters, and is known as the Magisterium. The lower house is the Publicanum, drawn from the leaders of the civil service. Many are mages, but not all."

Lydia shrugged. "Mages rule…" she said. "…but talent of any form ought to be recognized within reason. Those who contribute to the stability and day-to-day management of our Imperium deserve at least _some_ say in its proceedings, even if they lack the gift of magic."

"Of course…" Osmond said. Compared to the idea of non-magocratic nations, ordinary people serving and rising to high rank in the civil service wasn't unusual. And in Germania, it was uncommon but not impossible much less unknown for ordinary people to be given courtesy titles or low noble rank in recognition of services rendered or for great deeds. "…thank you for that information magister, now then let us proceed to the more important question."

"I agree." Lydia said. "Specifically, the location of my homeland, yes…? If I am to be repatriated and…relations established the question of where must be answered, no?"

Osmond merely smiled and nodded. "My first theory is that the Imperium and its neighbours are far to the south, across the ocean." Lydia said. "Humans were said to have migrated in prehistoric times as tribes across the ocean to Par Vollen, and thence to Thedas."

"Is it possible that we are to the east or west of your homeland?" Colbert put in.

"It's possible." Lydia said while tapping her chin. "Though…is this continent close to the north or southern ice caps?"

"You mean the regions where the ice never melts in summer, no?" Osmond asked. As Louise nodded, Osmond thought for a moment. "Germania's northern borders reach into those lands, so I would say north."

"That poses a problem then." Lydia said. "The waters and islands north of my home continent are contested between the Imperium and the Qunari. Repatriation and such will prove difficult through the volatile war zone."

"That would indeed be a problem." Osmond mused.

"In that case perhaps it might be possible to create a spell to facilitate your return in the same way you arrived." Colbert wondered aloud.

"It's not impossible." Lydia said with a glance at Louise. "If it can be done one way, then it should be possible the other way as well. Though, it would require extensive study: the dimensions and nature of the Fade are, by its very nature, ever-changing. I would not wish to be trapped in the Fade or worse by a miscast."

"The Fade…?" Osmond and Colbert echoed.

Lydia sighed. "The source of all magic…?" she asked. "The Sea of Dreams…? The Realm of the Spirits…?"

"You travelled through the spirit world…?" they asked in shock.

"No, I was pulled through it." Lydia replied snappishly. "How can you perform magic without knowing of the Fade?"

"We know of the spirit world." Osmond said. "But magic is not powered by it. Magic is powered by willpower…"

"No, magic is drawn from the Fade, which is done through conscious application of one's connection to the Fade." Lydia corrected. "With that said though, yes, I suppose you could say magic is powered by willpower: it would determine how much power one could pull from the Fade."

Colbert coughed. "Perhaps we can leave debate and discussion over magical theory for another time…" he said. "…going back to the main topic…"

Lydia nodded in agreement. "Yes…" she said. "…it would require extensive study, but travelling vast distances through the use of magic is possible. Imperial records indicate that the ancient Elves could do so through their eluvians, though that lore is largely-lost to the Imperium after the ancient wars."

Lydia glanced at Louise, who fidgeted under her gaze. "However…" she said. "…I have another theory."

Colbert and Osmond glanced at her in surprise. "Doesn't it strike you as strange that somehow we are able to speak the same language?" she asked. "It shouldn't be possible for you to speak the same, dominant dialect of Orlesian as I am, considering that a vast ocean lies between our civilizations."

"Now that you mention it…" Colbert said. "…that does sound rather strange. And I don't recall casting a translation spell either."

Lydia looked surprised at that, but decided to file it away for later. "I have a certain theory." She said instead. "Though, it lacks evidence…for now. Might I use magic to find evidence of it?"

Colbert and Osmond conferred in whispers, and then nodded her assent. "Excellent…" Lydia said, getting to her feet. Using the spearhead at the base of her staff, she carved a magic circle on the ground, and as her staff flashed with power she spoke softly but firmly.

"Wisdom, come and speak with me."

The circle flashed, and then began to glow. Green and white energies pooled and began to spiral upwards, drawing the attention of everyone inside: Louise, the two professors, and the secretary. Naturally, the magister and her retainer were already focused on the spell.

The magical energies hung in the air, and then flashed blinding bright. As the flash faded, a single wisp-like orb of light hung in the air, which began to lazily fly back and forth in front of the magister. "What is as big as you but does not weigh anything?" it asked in a soft, ethereal, feminine voice.

The magister groaned and palmed her face. "Must we do this each and every time?" she asked as Sylvia snickered. The wisp just serenely floated in front of the magister, waiting for her answer. "Fine: it's my shadow."

"What can you catch but never throw?"

"A cold…"

"You can't keep this until you have given this."

"A promise…"

"What is something with a neck but no head, two arms but no hands?"

"A shirt…"

"What has a bark, but no bite?"

"A tree…"

"Ask your question, magister of the Imperium."

"Must you always persist with this riddle game?"

The wisp laughed animatedly. "Surely that is not the question you asked my guidance on, magister." It asked. "And as I have answered you once, I answer you again: the mind of a child is a truly wondrous thing. Reflect on it, and you shall see why I persist."

The magister muttered something under her breath, and the wisp laughed again. "Imperial abstractions on the nature of the Fade and salvaged material from the ruins of Arlathan mention multiple planes of reality." Lydia said. "Some reflect each other. Others have only minor differences between them. Others more are…"

"Time does not exist in the Fade." The spirit – the awed Halkeginians belatedly recognized – interrupted. "At least not in the ordered way mortals perceive it."

The magister stayed silent, and after flying around for a bit the spirit spoke again. "Consider this magister…" it said. "…are past, present, and future absolute?"

"Of course…" Lydia said. "…otherwise the concepts behind them would be meaningless. Though, I imagine there's a caveat there."

"I offer this hint: an hourglass."

Lydia looked surprised, but then subsided into thoughtful silence for several minutes. And then she blinked, her eyes widening in dawning comprehension. "Yes…" the spirit answered. "…time has a beginning and an end, and they are absolute even if none of us, mortal or spirit, can truly know much less comprehend them. However the present is more malleable."

"I see." Lydia said. "Everything that is possible will exist, flowing from the past to the future. However possibilities may be contrary or even contradictory to each other, and therefore are separated within exclusive planes of reality."

Lydia's eyes narrowed, and briefly glanced at Louise. They flickered with realization, and the spirit laughed. It flickered and flared, green and white energy flowing into the form of an ethereal woman with long hair in a flowing robe and cloak. The face was turned away from Louise, but something about the figure looked familiar as it strode past the magister, caressing the magister's face with ethereal fingers.

"You can manage from here on, can you not magister?"

Lydia smiled and nodded. "You have my thanks, Wisdom." She said.

"And you are welcome, magister." It said as it began to fade away. "Hopefully when we next speak, it would be for a proper discussion. It has been some time, has it not?"

Lydia shrugged. "We're not in Minrathous Circle." She said. "But I'll see what I can do."

"You have my thanks, magister."

The spirit faded away, and after a few moments the Halkeginians released explosive gasps. "By the Founder…!" Colbert said. "That was a spirit, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that was a Spirit of Wisdom I met once and contracted with when I was still an enchanter at Minrathous Circle." Lydia said.

"Your familiar is a spirit…?" Louise gasped.

"If by familiar you mean an animal bound to myself then the answer is no." Lydia replied firmly. "Spirits of Wisdom are among the most powerful spirits in existence, easily as powerful as Demons of Pride. To challenge one would be risky and foolhardy even for magisters. We merely have an understanding between us, and when I call she need not answer when she senses I can find the answer on my own. And even then as you saw she does not give answers, merely guides one to reaching it on their own."

"True wisdom is learned, never given." Osmond said sagely, and Lydia nodded in his direction.

"Well said, first enchanter."

"So you're from an entirely different plane of reality…" Colbert said while slowly shaking his head. "…I don't know how that's possible."

"The Fade separates realms from each other according to the theory of multiple realms as postulated by Imperial scholars and apparently, the ancient Elves." Lydia said. "However as I mentioned earlier, the ancient Elves could traverse vast distances through the Fade with their eluvians. I wouldn't be surprised if the Fade could be used to cross realms as well."

"I'm inclined to believe that as well." Osmond said. "It would require much work to postulate that on our own, much less to apply it so that you might return to your world, magister, but I do not believe you are lying. And of course, there was the Spirit of Wisdom from earlier."

"If so…" Colbert began. "…then studying the familiar summoning spell might be a good starting point…"

"Speaking of familiars…" Osmond said with a glance at Louise.

"I will not consent to be her familiar." Lydia said firmly. "It would be below my standing as a magister of the Imperium to do so."

"We would not consider such an insult, magister." Osmond said reassuringly. "However law and custom prohibit the familiar summoning ritual to be performed more than once. Furthermore, young Miss de la Valliere has had…difficulties performing magic, leading many to believe she is a magical blunt despite her distinguished bloodline…"

"Blunt…?" Lydia echoed in disbelief. "She pulled two people through the Fade and she's a blunt? What's next, the Sun rises in the west?"

There was a moment of silence. "Does the Sun rise in the west here?" Sylvia asked.

"No…" Miss Longueville – the headmaster's secretary – replied. "…it rises in the east."

"What exactly does 'difficulties' mean anyway?" Lydia asked.

"Explosions…" Louise replied heatedly. "…it's always been that way, even before I went to the academy. No matter what I do, no matter what I try, no matter how much I study the theory, each and every time I try to cast a spell it always results in an explosion!"

"Andoral's chains…" Lydia murmured. "…that sounds a lot like magical rebound."

"And what does that mean exactly?" Louise asked.

"It means you're trying to use spells that you lack affinities for."

Louise took a deep breath. "I've tried using spells for each element, but they all end the same way…" she began.

"That only means you can't use the Primal School." Lydia said. "Have you tried the other schools of magic…?"

"Primal…? Schools of magic…? What?"

Lydia stared. "You don't know the Four Cardinal Schools of Magic?" she asked incredulously.

"No, but I guess you're not referring to the four branches of Brimiric Elemental Magic." Colbert answered for Louise.

This time it was Lydia's turn to take a deep breath. "No, I am not." She said. "In my world, elemental magic falls under the Primal School. The other schools are Spirit, Entropy, and Creation. There's also the Arcane School, which defies categorization and involves manipulation of magical energy in its raw form."

"I-I see…"

For the next few moments there was silence, and then Lydia glanced at Colbert. "Might I ask what happens if Miss de la Valliere is branded a magical blunt?" she asked.

"At best…" Osmond answered uncomfortably. "…she'd be confined to her family estates for life. At worse, she'd be stripped of her title and cast out of her family."

"I figured as much." Lydia said with a sigh. She scratched her head, and began to pace. After several moments she turned to Louise. "Alright, here's what I offer: I'd really not have the ruination of a young lady on my conscience, and it seems I'm stuck in this world for quite a bit. So I might as well make myself useful. Would you like to become my apprentice, Miss de la Valliere?"

* * *

A/N

And so it continues nothing really to say for this chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 2

"What?"

"Would you like to become my apprentice?" Lydia repeated. "I will not lower myself to become a mere familiar, but I have no desire either to be your ruin – albeit indirectly – seeing as you are unable to attempt to summon another familiar after your ritual summoned me and Sylvia instead. Furthermore, you are clearly possessed of large magical potential: even if was by accident, you pulled two people through the Fade and across realms."

Lydia took a deep breath. "That speaks of unharnessed magical potential, not its lack." She said. "I can help you harness that, if you wish."

Louise stared at Lydia, who regarded her evenly. "What's in it for you?" she blurted out, her eyes widening and her hands clapping themselves over her mouth as she realized what she just said.

"Miss de la Valliere…!" Ormond said sharply, but Lydia pre-empted him and Colbert with a raised hand. She didn't look offended, if anything she looked amused.

"Before I give a proper response to that…" she said. "…what's the reasoning behind the question?"

Louise fumbled, visibly-fidgeting on her seat. "Well…" she eventually said. "…even if you say I have lots of unharnessed magic, it just seems strange that someone like you would help me. I did take you from your home country against your will after all, and well, you're one of the highest-ranking mages in your country aren't you? If I were in your place I would be unhappy at what had happened, and probably not too willing to help the one responsible. Especially when you're not getting anything out of it…"

"Who's to say I'm not?" Lydia interrupted with a chuckle. "Well-reasoned Miss de la Valliere: you ask the right questions. After all, why would someone as high-ranking as me, help a lowly student with difficulties controlling her magic, who took her unwillingly from her homeland to make her the student's familiar?"

Louise fidgeted and looked away, while Colbert and Osmond looked warily at the magister. "First of all, I don't want to see you ruined. I'd rather not have that on my conscience." Lydia said with an amused smile. "And second: I am getting something out of this. You _physically_ pulled Sylvia and me through the Fade and between realms. The latter has only ever been considered in academic terms back in the Imperium. The former…well, mages managed to enter the Fade physically once before, but let's just say that didn't end well."

The Halkeginians looked curious, but the firm tone of voice used by the magister when she said the last part was enough for them to set the matter aside for now. "Do you see where I'm getting at, Miss de la Valliere?" Lydia asked.

Louise thought for a moment. "If you can figure out how it worked…" she eventually said. "…when you go back, then it'll be a magical discovery like never before…?"

"Full points…!" Lydia said, clapping her hands in applause. "Yes, it'll be a magical discovery like nothing before. Apart from earning me an enduring place in history, such an achievement would catapult me into the highest circles of the Magisters of the Tevinter Imperium. I don't have such low standing that I'm desperate to climb higher, but I'm not the kind to pass up opportunity when it appears before me either."

Lydia tilted her head like a bird's while regarding Louise. "So…" she said. "…what say you?"

Louise looked down, her face scrunched up in thought. Lydia Rubricatus was clearly a powerful mage, if her description of her title of 'magister' was anything to go by, to say nothing of her earlier battle with Colbert. And her mentioning Louise's untapped potential…

" _She could just be humouring me…_ " Louise thought. " _…but I did pull her and her retainer through the…spirit world or whatever she calls it, so she's probably telling the truth. If I become her apprentice, then maybe – just maybe – I could become a powerful magician, and finally get mother to acknowledge me._ "

Louise raised her head, to meet the magister's eyes. " _Though…_ " she thought. " _…she mentioned other schools of magic. If I learn her magic, wouldn't it be heresy to use magic not used by the Founder?_ "

Louise lowered her head, shutting out Colbert as the old professor expressed his opinion that the decision on whether or not to become the magister's apprentice couldn't be made so quickly. And normally he'd be right.

Except that, Louise was anything but normal. She'd had difficulty performing magic even before entering the academy, and entering the academy had done nothing to change that fact. Yes, learning the magic of the magister's homeland was probably heresy. There would be consequences, perhaps even dire ones.

But she would be a mage.

She would be a mage.

And no matter how Louise looked at it, even if there were consequences, so long as she was a mage she could face them, perhaps even on her terms. That was far better than the alternative.

"Fine…" she said softly but determinedly. "…I'll be your apprentice."

"Please Miss de la Valliere…" Colbert said, looking in her direction. "…this isn't a decision to be made lightly."

"I know professor." Louise said. "But no matter how I look at it, this is my only chance to prove myself worthy of my name and legacy. I hate to admit it, but maybe I _am_ a magical blunt in the sense that I can't use…elemental magic. If so, then maybe if I study other kinds of magic…"

"Miss de la Valliere…"

"I know it risks me getting branded as a heretic by the church." Louise said with her eyes hard. Osmond and Colbert didn't let it show, but at that moment they were reminded of another strong-willed, strawberry-blonde mage from their youth, who would later rise to greatness: Duchess Karin de la Valliere, nee Desiree.

And not just them: Lydia didn't let it show, but looking at Louise at that moment was like looking back into the past.

"But even if that happens…" Louise said. "…so long as I'm a mage, I can face the consequences with at least pride that I've amounted to something. Who knows? I might even resolve those consequences, somehow."

Osmond and Colbert exchanged wary glances, and Lydia nodded in understanding. "Well said, Miss de la Valliere." She said. "You understand the responsibility that comes with magic it seems, even if you didn't say it in such a way."

Lydia smiled. "We of the Imperium understand the power, responsibility, and dangers that come with magic." She said. "Unlike the Thedosians who run from them by shackling their mages and reducing them to a servant caste, we confront them and overcome them. That is the reason our Imperium has endured for nearly three thousand years."

Lydia sighed and shook her head. "My apologies…" she said. "…it seems I've rambled off-topic."

She looked towards Osmond and Colbert. "Miss de la Valliere consents to be my apprentice." She said. "I assume that there are certain documents to be filled out."

Colbert looked mutinous, but Osmond raised a hand for silence. "Miss Longueville…" he said. "…please prepare the standard apprenticeship documents."

"Yes headmaster."

"Headmaster…!" Colbert began to protest but Osmond silenced him with a look. He then looked at the magister.

"As you say, Miss de la Valliere has agreed to be your apprentice." He said. "Also, as she said this may be her only chance to become a proper mage. But apart from the magical bindings of an apprenticeship contract, I want you to look at me in the eyes here and now and give me your word that Miss de la Valliere will be treated properly under your tutelage."

Lydia closed her eyes and chuckled. "I'm almost insulted." She said. "But I am something of an unknown variable, no? And my magic is…different from this land's. Also, I would profit from this endeavour too. It's only natural you be wary of me."

Osmond and Colbert were silently, and after a moment Lydia gave a small bow. "I give you my word that I will treat Miss Louise de la Valliere with all due respect and propriety under my tutelage." She said.

Osmond nodded his acknowledgement, and Miss Longueville arrived with the apprenticeship papers. Lydia and Louise took the two copies, and filtered out the important details.

 __shall place herself under the apprenticeship of_…the apprentice shall heed the master's teachings, obey the master's commands, support her alliances, and work alongside the master's familiar…the apprentice shall receive instructions from the master…this apprenticeship will last until the master deems the apprentice has completed the mastery, or either the apprentice or the master does not wish to continue…_

Lydia nodded at conditions listed within the document, and placed it on the headmaster's desk. "It seems standard." She said, and Louise nodded.

"I agree." She said. "I can agree to this."

"Then…" Osmond said while offering a pair of quills and an inkwell. "…sign the documents."

The magister and her apprentice did so, and then handed the documents to Osmond and Colbert, who signed them as witnesses. And then their expressions turned dark. "It seems you have not been entirely honest with us, magister." Colbert said.

"I beg your pardon?" Lydia asked.

Colbert held up one of the apprenticeship papers. "The bindings have not taken effect." He said. "That means that you are not truly this 'Lydia Rubricatus'."

Whatever they expected was not what they got, as Lydia palmed her face. "I forgot." She groaned. "Apprenticeship contracts and other binding magical documents and agreements require the use of one's True Name."

"That's not like you, magister." Sylvia murmured. "However it's probably only the happenings of today unsettling you."

Lydia snorted her agreement, and then bowed to Osmond and Colbert. "My apologies…" she said. "…I had forgotten I needed to use my True Name for such documents."

"True Name…?"

"It's usually the name your mother gives you, barring certain other circumstances." Lydia said. "Can we perhaps have another pair of documents?"

Osmond gestured for Longueville to do so, and turned back to Lydia. "So…" he said. "…who are you really?"

"By adoption, I _am_ Lydia Rubricatus, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium by Imperial Decree." She replied. "But I wasn't born in Tevinter, I was born in Orlais."

Lydia sighed and sank down into a seat in front of the headmaster's desk. "You must understand…" she said. "…in Thedas, children who are born with magical abilities are taken from their families – sometimes against their will – by the Templars and brought to the Circles. They are not allowed knowledge or contact with their families, and if the children are from noble or even royal families, they are required to renounce their titles and claims."

Lydia looked away, an old expression of pain and longing casting a shadow over her face. "I was eight when I first used magic." She said. "My parents were devastated. Even my mother, who in her youth was known as Orlais' _Reine Tigre des Noir Lanciers_ and one of the empire's finest chevaliers, was unable to bear the idea that I would be reduced to one of the Chantry's pet sorcerers, instead of a proud noble of the empire."

Lydia took a deep breath. "At first they tried to hide what I was." She said. "But they quickly realized that it was impossible, and sooner or later word would get out, and I'd be lucky if I were just taken to a Circle. More likely, I would be killed as an apostate, and my family stripped of lands and titles for harbouring an apostate. But even so, they would _not_ let me lose everything that I was. So my father began a series of clandestine negotiations with the Rubricatus Altus family of the Tevinter Imperium, with whom we were distantly related through Queen Asha Campana of Antiva."

Miss Longueville brought the new documents, but they lay forgotten as Lydia told her tale. Some might dismiss it out of hand as a fraud's dramatics, but Osmond and Colbert could genuinely see and hear the old regret, sadness, and resentment in her face and eyes, and in her voice.

"A part of me resents effectively getting sold for a variety of diplomatic favours which increased the Rubricatus' standing in the Imperial Senate." Lydia continued. "But I don't blame my father. I don't blame the Rubricatus either, who adopted me when I was eleven and placed such high standards on me for getting their name."

Lydia chuckled deprecatingly. "Yes…" she said. "…you heard that right. I'm only a Rubricatus in name, and until I became a magister I didn't have any inheritance rights. But I don't blame them. I wasn't born a Rubricatus, so I had to prove myself first before I could truly be one in part, if never in full or in blood."

"And your father…?" Louise asked softly.

Lydia glanced at her. "Why should I blame him?" she said. "Because of him, I retain the status, rank, and title that are my birth-right, and wield power beyond all but the strongest Thedosian mages as only a Tevinter Magister can. If he did not do as he did, I would have been forced to renounce the name my mother gave me when I was born, chained by the malicious fears of the hypocrites of the Chantry of Val Royeaux, and with the Templars' blades constantly behind me lest I grow beyond their power to control. And they are the ones I blame for robbing me of the land of my birth, of living with my blood, and forcing me into exile no matter how necessary and how much it has given me: the Chantry of Val Royeaux!"

The words were spoken with such hatred and loathing that the Halkeginians shuddered, and it was with a mix of relief and anxiety that they greeted her laughter afterwards. "Now…" she said. "…now that I am a magister, I am free to flaunt my name and status in their faces whenever I visit the land of my birth, shielded as I am by the diplomatic immunity that protocol confers upon me."

Chuckling again, Lydia took the new documentation and pushed them forward. Colbert and Osmond sighed, realizing with morbid fascination that Lydia had omitted names and asked them to sign first out of a sense for drama, and that they _wanted_ to indulge her.

Finished signing, they passed the papers to Louise, who first filled in her name in the contract before signing at the bottom. She then passed them to Lydia, and looked over the magister's shoulder as she made to fill-in her name and sign her signature.

"You might want to sit down first." The magister said while pausing, and Louise did as suggested. The magister resumed writing, Louise watching from beside her.

"Marquise…" Louise read aloud, and then her eyes bulged as the title and name was filled-in. "…Louise de la Valliere…!"

"Well met, my reflection in this realm…" Lydia said. "…my father was Duke Lucien de la Valliere, and my mother is Duchess Karin de la Valliere. My eldest sister is Eleanor, Duchess de la Valliere, and my other older sister is Cattleya, Marquise de la Fontaine, mother to Count Edmond de la Fontaine."

Lydia finished writing, turning to smile at her younger mirror. "I'm pleased to meet you, even if this is all very surreal." She said.

Louise fainted.

* * *

"Well, that could have gone better."

Sylvia glanced in her lady's voice's direction, the magister removing her cloak and draping it over Sylvia's on a nearby chair as she approached the library table Sylvia was sitting at. The magister's armour was missing though, and apparently Lydia noticed Sylvia noticing.

"They've assigned us shared quarters in the guest dormitories." Lydia said, taking a lock of the Elf's hair and stroking it with her fingers. "I took a look on the way back from Louise's quarters, and it's more than serviceable."

"And…Miss Louise…?" Sylvia asked.

"She's still sleeping." Lydia replied. "The healers said it was just shock, coupled with significant magical exhaustion from the summoning ritual earlier. They took her back to her quarters, and said to just let her sleep it off. She should be fine by tomorrow morning."

"I see." Sylvia said, raising her head to meet Lydia's eyes. After a moment she chuckled. "This is very…surreal, isn't it?"

Lydia laughed as well. "Throwing my words back at me?" she said while walking around the table and taking a seat. "You're getting uppity aren't you?"

"You've been saying that since we were twelve."

"Why you…!"

The two Tevinters shared a laugh, and then Sylvia gave a cough. "I've spoken with the librarian." She said. "Thanks to that and the authorization note we got from the first enchanter, I've managed to get together a few materials to tell us more about this world."

Lydia took a look around the books and scrolls arranged in near piles on the table across her and Sylvia, and sighed. "We're never going to be able to finish this before the library closes for the day." She said, and Sylvia smiled.

"No." she said. "Despite us neither being academy staff or students, according to the librarian we'll be able to borrow these books as long as we're staying in the academy. If we leave, we have to return them. With that said, he seemed…suspicious that we might abscond with some of his material."

"Librarians and archivists are like that." Lydia said, taking a book and flipping through it. The letters were familiar for the most part, though certain ones were not, and the same went for some words. She was probably going to need a dictionary for certain words and idioms in this new world. "And to be fair it's hard not to blame them. Good books and scrolls are expensive and hard to find, even more so when it comes to obscure lore. And certain people will always have certain needed bits of lore."

"Yes magister."

"So…" Lydia began after another moment. "…I assume you've gotten a start into digesting this?"

"Yes." Sylvia said with a nod. She took a nearby book, a primer on geography and nations. "Well, the geography of the known world in this land is different from ours, and would take much longer than the past hour to digest. However, as with Tevinter and Thedas, the continent – Halkeginia – is divided into several nations, which appear to have cultural analogies to our world's nations."

"Hmm…I'm with you so far."

"Now this is just what I got from the basics but…" Sylvia continued while opening the primer and using a finger to indicate nations on a map. "…Tristain and Gallia appear to correspond to Orlais, Albion to Ferelden, Romalia to Tevinter, and Germania to the Anderfels."

Lydia blinked, and Sylvia nodded. "Yes." She said with a nod. "Nevarra, the Free Marches, Antiva, Rivain, and the Qunari don't appear to have analogies. I haven't seen any mention of dwarves either, but there doesn't seem to be any indication that dwarves don't exist in this world, so far."

Lydia nodded slowly, and then pointed at the desert marked as Rub' al Khali, and trailed her index finger down along the coast marked as the 'Holy Land'. "Holy Land…?" she said. "Now doesn't that sound very curious?"

"Apparently…" Sylvia replied. "…it's this world's analogy to either the Dales or lost Elvhenan."

"So there are Elves in this world."

"Yes." Sylvia said with a nod. "Apparently they've been at war for thousands of years now, though most of the time it's just glaring at each other over borders. Every so often though, a Pope – this world's analogy to the Divines – will call for a crusade – their equivalent to our Exalted Marches – against the Elves. Some actually happen, but always end as bloody defeats."

"And what do you think about this?"

Sylvia glanced at her lady, and after a few moments smiled. "Their strength is to be respected." She said, referring to the Elves of this world. "But they are not my people. I'm a Tevinter Elf, and I'm proud of it."

Lydia reached out and took a lock of golden hair to play with. "It'll be troublesome though." The magister mused. "If these people are constantly at war with the Elves, you'll have to be careful. Even more than whenever we visit Orlais: at least the Orlesians just look at you funny. Here though…"

"I understand." Sylvia said with a nod. "I'll have to keep my hood up at least, and of course avoid unnecessary attention. And above all else: I'll be careful."

Lydia nodded her agreement. "Alright…" she said, turning back to the material around them. "…let's move on."

"Yes magister."

* * *

"I still think we put too much trust in that magister." Colbert said to Osmond.

The headmaster stared out of his office windows at the afternoon sky beyond. The Sun was beginning to set, its disc beginning to dip below the horizon. "That may be so…" he said. "…but at the very least the agreement gives us a guarantee to an extent."

"It's not fool-proof though." Colbert said before giving a sigh. "With that said, there's probably no point in continuing this conversation. I'm probably just venting my frustrations."

Osmond laughed good-naturedly. "It's alright." He said. "I understand your concerns. It's only natural, seeing as she's your student."

For a moment they stood silent, and then Osmond nodded slowly. "That's the biggest reason why you think there's no point in continuing this, isn't it?" he said.

"True…" Colbert began. "…Miss de la Valliere doesn't seem to be able to control any of the elements. But for all that she clearly has plenty of magical power. The possibility cannot be denied that her talents in magic lie elsewhere. The problem with that is…"

"The Church…" Osmond murmured, sitting down behind his desk.

Colbert nodded. "As Miss de la Valliere said…" he said. "…there will be consequences."

"And…?"

"If the worst happens…" Colbert said. "…she might have to flee to Germania. They're not as beholden to the Church as say Gallia or our Tristain, much less Romalia. And the frontiers of Germania are harsh places, with constant skirmishes with monsters and the like. If she becomes a Germanian knight, then there's not much the Church can do: the Germanians usually turn a blind eye to the cost of what needs be done to keep their borders safe, and the Church knows that. They might even see it as an effective death sentence: she would have to keep fighting on the frontier until she dies or she loses her excuse to avoid the Church's censure."

"I'd rather not see that as the fate of young Miss de la Valliere."

"Neither I…" Colbert admitted. "…though with that said, that's only the worst-case scenario. More likely is she'll be publicly-censured – less so if we can hold any inquiry here in Tristain – but quietly made a Church researcher into new forms of magic. Form is just as important as substance after all."

"That's a bit more preferable." Osmond said with a nod. "If she succeeds, she might even get court rank at the Pope's court. But the best…?"

"The best case is the same as before, only the inquiry doesn't censure her, and she gets commissioned as a magical researcher under Church oversight."

"Hmm…" Osmond mused with a nod. "…well, hopefully either of the latter two will be the outcome. But that's still far off in the future: for now, we'll have to inform the queen of what's happened, seeing as Magister Rubricatus is a _de facto_ foreign delegate, as well as continuing the preparations for the upcoming Familiar Exhibition."

"And the Duchess de la Valliere…?"

Osmond smiled. "Leave that to Miss de la Valliere." He said.

* * *

Giggling drew Sylvia's attention as she swept quietly down the hallways of the academy after dinner, scouting out the large academy grounds while her lady went to her apprentice's quarters. It was unlikely there was anything to worry about, but being careful never hurt anyone.

Keeping herself in the shadows, Sylvia spotted a handsome blonde boy sitting at an arbour with a pretty dark-haired girl. The boy held a rose in one hand, and was whispering sweet nothings into the giggling and blushing girl's ear. Sylvia smiled at the sight.

" _Ah, young love…_ " she thought with amusement. She watched for a few more moments, and then quietly left. " _…no need to disturb children playing being adults, they'll grow up soon enough._ "

As she wandered across the academy, she encountered mostly servants, the students and teaching staff having gone to sleep. It was a far cry from Minrathous Circle of Magi, which was always busy with slaves, servants, mages, bureaucrats and soldiers at any hour of the day or the night. Though, it was probably unfair to compare: Minrathous Circle was after all, the foundation of Imperial authority, where it all began some might even say.

Compared to that, this academy in a small principality sandwiched between two giant nations was as nothing.

The hooded Elf paused her scouting as she spotted a dragon with what looked like a rider on its back flying across the sky. For a few moments she just watched, and then made herself scarce. She remembered a student with a dragon in this place, but something about her felt…dangerous.

She got that same feeling now, watching the dragon and its rider fly in the distance, and she just _knew_ it was the girl. But, why her…?

Why did she feel so dangerous?

Sylvia finished her sweep of the outer grounds, and decided to sweep the interior grounds and buildings before meeting up with her lady. However the thought of the girl with the dragon – a very small and non-threatening dragon if she remembered right – continued to weigh heavily in her mind.

So much so that she ran into a maid as she turned a corner, the Elf and the Human falling in opposite directions to land on the floor. Water splashed as the maid's bucket spilled, clearly for wiping the floor.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me…" The maid said, getting up and giving several bows as Sylvia lightly got back to her feet. "…I should have been looking where I was going."

"No…" Sylvia said. "…the fault is mine as well. I wasn't looking either, here let me help you with that."

"Oh it's alright I wouldn't want to impose, um…"

"Sylvia…" the Elf introduced herself. "…Sylvia Hunters, given my father worked as a huntsman for the Rubricatus family back home."

"Oh I see." The maid said, righting the bucket and using a cloth to methodically soak up the water on the floor and squeeze it out into the bucket. "My name's Siesta, by the way…"

 _Siesta…? Isn't that the Antivan word for sleep? How very curious…_

"Anyway, what are you doing up so late, Miss Sylvia?" Siesta asked.

Sylvia blinked and chuckled. "Just Sylvia, will do." She said. "As for your question, I'm just looking around that's all."

"I must say though…" Siesta said after several moments of silence. "…I never expected to be able to hold a conversation with an Elf like this."

Sylvia looked at her in surprise, and then chuckled. "You've got sharp eyes…" she said. "…to be able to notice that in the torchlight when my hood got disturbed earlier."

"You won't kill me for it would you?" Siesta asked slightly nervously.

"What, no! Of course not…!" Sylvia spluttered. "Why would you even think that?"

"Well, Elves are always, um…not good people in stories so…"

Sylvia sighed. "You shouldn't always believe what the stories say." She said. "Storytellers have a tendency to inflate things just so more people will pay attention."

Siesta giggled at that. "Well…" she said. "…I suppose you've got a point there. So how did an Elf like you end up travelling with a Human mage?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

Sylvia evenly regarded the girl for a moment, and then an idea occurred to her. She smiled and nodded. "Alright…" she said. "…I'll tell you the story. But in return, won't you tell me more about this place and lands?"

* * *

A/N

Orlais = France, so I assume their nobility followed the French rule, i.e. children of nobility have as courtesy titles the next lowest rank to their father. So Lydia/Orlesian!Louise is a Marquise, as are her sisters. Except Eleanor: their father is already dead in the Dragon Age world, so Eleanor is Duchess de la Valliere.

The Duke de la Valliere has no given name AFAIK, so I gave him one.

Warden of Lore: she has to be slightly. She's a magister after all, and she is, well, Louise de la Valliere. I'd say Dot and Line Classes are outclassed, while Triangle Classes have a fighting chance. Square Class mages will be even, though this doesn't factor in things like prep, chance, and experience among other factors.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 3

Sunlight streamed through gaps in the curtains, falling on the pale sheets covering the small and slender figure curled up in sleep on the bed, her long strawberry-blonde hair providing a stark contrast to her fair skin and the pale colour of her sheets. A flock of birds flew by the window, chirping loudly and causing Louise de la Valliere to stir.

She turned on her side, chewing lightly on her lip, but her eyelids briefly fluttered awake before firmly closing to try and get back to sleep. "Are you awake, Louise?" a very familiar voice asked just as Louise was about to fall back into slumber.

For a moment there was a spark of panic, trying to burn through the fog of sleep, but then the sense of familiarity clicked in. It was just her sister, no need to panic, and the spark died. "Sister Cattleya…?" Louise sleepily asked.

There was silence for several moments. "Hmm…" her sister said. "…how do you feel Louise?"

"Tired…" Louise said softly, rolling on her back and blinking several times before covering her eyes with an arm. "…yesterday was the Springtime Summoning Ceremony. In fact I had the weirdest dream about it."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Instead of a wise, noble, and loyal familiar I summoned a heretical magician from a distant land." Louise said, and keeping her eyes closed behind her arm. "She was powerful enough to fight Professor Colbert, and claimed to be me. Weird isn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"Still…" Louise said, turning on her side to face her sister. Again, a spark of panic burned barely held back by a sense of familiarity. Since when did her sister wear all black? Or cut her hair short? Or for that matter…didn't Cattleya have…well, big breasts?

Louise blinked owlishly, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Something about this didn't seem right, for all the familiarity of the face and the voice. "Louise?" Cattleya asked. "You were saying?"

"No…" Louise said, again rolling on her back and shaking her head to try and clear it of the fog of sleep. "…it's nothing. But…she looked like me, or an older version of me. She didn't have your or mother's big breasts, and…I really wish I could be as powerful as her. She was powerful enough to have an Elf as a familiar too. "

There was a snicker at that, and Louise blinked before the unease finally burned away the last dregs of sleep. What was her sister doing in school anyway?

With a shout Louise flung herself upright, and turned her head to see an annoyed looking Magister Lydia Rubricatus, or as she claimed, Marquise Louise de la Valliere of Orlais. Louise's…reflection, from another world. "It wasn't a dream!" she screamed out, rolling off the other side of her bed.

"Of course it wasn't." Lydia snapped, and Louise peeked warily over her bed.

"Why are you so snappy?" she asked. "And more importantly, you…I…you tricked me!"

Lydia bristled much to the nearby Elf's amusement. "And pray tell…" she ground out. "…how did I trick you?"

Louise pointed an accusing finger. "You tricked me into thinking you were sister Cattleya!" she said.

"I never claimed to be Cattleya." Lydia replied shortly. "I just didn't bother to correct you. I never tricked you, in fact you tricked yourself."

Louise twitched at the response. "So snappy so early in the morning." she muttered. "What a crank…"

Lydia twitched in her turn, and Sylvia burst out laughing. "Oh…oh…oh…!" the Elf gasped out. "You really are reflections of each other, aren't you?"

"I'm glad you're finding this very amusing." Lydia said honestly, and Sylvia choked out a few moments of laughter before pulling herself together.

"Miss Louise…" the Elf said with a grin. "…you wouldn't happen to be very slender, would you?"

"That's none of your business!" Louise thundered, and Sylvia laughed again, subsiding only at the glare of the two Humans.

"See what I mean?" she said, and Lydia muttered something about how shallow men were, and that breasts didn't make a woman. Louise found herself sympathizing.

" _Fine, so maybe we're alike._ " She thought grudgingly. And then she remembered yesterday, and she began to feel the beginning of a headache. The botched summoning, the duel between the magister and her teacher, the magister's explanation of where she was from, the apprenticeship contract, and then the big reveal…

Louise regarded her new master as she conversed rapidly in Romalian with her familiar, no, not familiar: _retainer_. There was a difference. " _I get the feeling this is going to cause me nothing but trouble._ " She thought. " _But…she's so powerful, and well, she's_ _ **me**_ _. Just from a different world…if I can learn her secrets, then…_ "

Louise sighed, remembering her words from yesterday about consequences. Getting up, she bowed to a surprised magister. "I understand." Louise said. "I spoke out of turn, though in my defence I only just woke up and wasn't thinking straight. Please accept my apologies, master. It won't happen again."

"Ah…" Lydia coughed out. Somehow, seeing this younger version of herself – she hadn't worn her hair that long since she'd joined the army after her Harrowing – bow to her was very…surreal. "…no, it's alright. Yesterday was a big shock after all, even to me."

Lydia coughed primly. "You should hurry and get changed." she said. "It's almost time for breakfast after all. And Sylvia, if I remember correctly, today is supposed to be a free day to allow familiars and masters to get to know each other, is it not?"

"That is correct, magister." Sylvia said. Lydia nodded.

"Good…" she said. "…even if we're master and apprentice rather than master and familiar, let's use the time for just that."

Sylvia bowed, and moved to help Louise. For her part, Louise tried to keep her cool at the presence of an Elf, something that she seemed to not completely succeed at and which only seemed to amuse the Elf.

 _How did my 'other self' get an Elf as a retainer anyway?_

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair, most of the students quieting down after Louise had arrived accompanied by the magister and her retainer. Headmaster Osmond had surprisingly decided to tell the truth to the student body, that Louise had summoned a powerful sorceress-noblewoman from another world along with her Elven retainer (though he'd kept the fact that she was Louise's counterpart in that world quiet).

He also assured the student body that Sylvia Hunters posed no harm whatsoever, but also asked that they keep the matter quiet, i.e. not involve their families, and to leave the situation to the academy administration which had already informed the crown and sought its cooperation. He also revealed Louise's apprenticeship to the magister, which would last until its completion or the magister could return home, and that students were expected to treat Magister Lydia Rubricatus with respect due to one of the faculty.

Lydia was offered a seat on the high table, though her retainer was currently nowhere to be seen. Her classmates largely ignored her, though there were many strange and curious looks directed in her or Lydia's directions. For the most part that is: eventually a busty, dark-skinned, and redheaded mage made her way to the strawberry-blonde mage.

"So…" the mage began with a grin, taking a seat beside the visibly-annoyed Louise. "…you didn't succeed in summoning a noble and beautiful familiar, but a powerful sorceress eh? And she's agreed to teach you magic until she can get back?"

"I don't see what that matters to you, you shameless Zerbst!" Louise retorted.

Kirche laughed at Louise's retort. "Well who knows?" she asked as she helped herself to some of the food on the table. "Maybe she'll be able to teach you how _not_ to blow yourself up with your spells anymore, eh Zero?"

"Would you just leave me alone?" Louise snapped, trying to tune Kirche out. "I just want to eat breakfast in peace, and not spar with you Zerbst. Well, not this early anyway…!"

Louise broke off as she choked on a sausage, and Kirche surprisingly patted her hard on the back until she could breathe again. "Thanks." Louise said grudgingly, and Kirche shrugged and smiled.

"No problem." She said. "Where's Miss Hunters anyway?"

"No idea." Louise replied. "She's probably having breakfast too, though since she's not a mage and a retainer of the magister, she's probably eating with the servants."

"I see." Kirche said. "Though, aren't Elves all supposed to be mages?"

Louise opened her mouth to answer, and then just as quickly closed it. "Yeah…" she said slowly. "…though maybe things are different in the world the magister comes from. I'll have to ask later."

For a few minutes they ate in silence, and then Kirche asked a question that caused Louise to choke on her milk. "Come to think of it…" she said. "…she looks a bit like you, doesn't she?"

"W-what…?" Louise gasped out.

"The magister…" Kirche said. "…she's got the same hair colour as you, and well…"

The redhead scratched her head and then shook it with a laugh. "No way, that can't be possible." She eventually said. "Assuming old Osmond wasn't lying – which he probably wasn't seeing as I was there when you summoned her – about the different worlds thing, there's no way you and she could be related with each other. It's probably just the hair, no?"

Lousie didn't reply, just muttering something unintelligible under her breath. A blue-haired mage seated nearby overheard though, and she glanced a few times between the magister on the high table – discussing something quietly but animatedly with one of the instructors – and Louise. She narrowed her eyes and opened a notebook to scribble something with a pocket quill.

 _Identical hair and eye colours_

 _Similar facial structure, sufficient for close degree of familial relationship_

 _Similar body structure, see above_

 _Speaks Tristainian with Romalian accent_

 _Absurd-sounding possible cover story, but presence of non-magical and non-hostile (both require investigation) Elven retainer is circumstantial evidence for story's veracity_

 _Hypothesis: strong indication magister is truly from another world, but could also be Church or Elven plot. Further investigation required._

 _Note: possible blood relation between the magister and the de la Valliere family requires investigation as well._

 _Conclusion and other recommendations impossible to make at this time_

Tabitha closed her notebook, and stowed it and her pocket quill before turning back to her breakfast.

* * *

"Now then…" Lydia said, taking a seat under a tree and reclining against the trunk. "…today's supposed to be meant for getting to know each other, and I don't have any problem with that. I'm still reviewing your academic performance so far, so we'll start with the apprenticeship proper tomorrow at the earliest."

The magister smiled. "I've already told you my life's story – prior to Tevinter – yesterday, so I suppose we can carry on from there." She said. "As I said, I was adopted by the Rubricatus Altus family of the Tevinter Imperium when I was eleven, and entered into the Minrathous Circle of Magi. I passed the Harrowing when I was twenty, and entered the army immediately afterwards as a cavalry tribune in the Fourteenth Legion. With me so far…?"

Louise nodded. "You were a soldier?" she asked.

"Yes I was." Lydia said with a smile, gesturing for Louise to sit on the ground. She briefly hesitated, but quickly acquiesced. "As an Altus only in name, the military was the quickest and most reliable means to prove myself. Politics influences the military true, but battle accolades are more often than not rightly-earned. Most of my first six years in the army were spent putting down Qunari insurgents and their dupes along the coasts, and as part of raids into Qunari-occupied Seheron. I received the rank of enchanter at twenty-six, and spent five years as an administrator at Minrathous Circle. I also built up a tidy fortune at that time, by investing my earnings both as a tribune and an administrator."

Lydia paused at that, and silently realized that in this world, she didn't _have_ any money. That would eventually be problematic, very much so, and she and Sylvia would have to look into a solution soon. It would be stopgap at first of course, if only to buy some space for a long-term solution.

Their trip between realms was hardly-planned, and researching a way back would take much time and effort. They could spend years here, and they needed to support themselves in that time.

"Anyway moving on…" Lydia continued. "…I re-joined the military when I was thirty-one, again as a cavalry tribune, but was promoted to cohort commander on the field after a Qunari assassin killed my predecessor. At this time I was part of the Twelfth Legion, one of four legions that formed Magister Lucius Serano's Fourth Army, assigned to secure the eastern Imperium after the Qunari launched a surprise attack on the Imperium after the Thedosians held their 'Exalted Council'. That was…eight years ago now."

Lydia paused, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Time flies…" she said with a small smile. "…it took us two years to complete the eastern campaign after which the Twelfth was reassigned to reinforce the Third Army under Magister Gaius Martellus Tertianus. I distinguished myself in the Battle of Alam, after which I was briefly recalled to Minrathous to receive commendations for valour and merit."

What she _didn't_ tell Louise though was that the commendations came _after_ an inquiry. During the Battle of Alam the Qunari had used their poison gas against the Third Army, and had actually broken the Tevinter right wing had not Lydia turned the tide.

And _that_ involved a lyrium overdose and using the spilled blood of thousands of soldiers on both sides to power a blood magic spell that annihilated a third of the Qunari left wing. It had nearly killed Lydia too, though it broke the Qunari spirit and allowed the Tevinter right wing to reform and counterattack, allowing them to break through and attack and rout the Qunari centre from the flank.

Lydia upon reawakening was relieved of command, though Magister Tertianus had put in a good word for her when she faced the Imperial Senate's inquiry. Blood magic _was_ technically illegal in the Imperium, though in practice small-scale blood magic was looked the other way by the Imperium.

What she did at Alam was hardly 'small-scale' though.

Though, considering the situation of the battle at the time, the Rubricatus' influence (that she could perform such powerful magic _and_ turn the battle's tide had greatly warmed up the ranking members of her family), and the Imperium's tendency to respect magical might and talent, the Imperial Senate had cleared her of suspicion. She'd even been commended afterwards, not just for valour but also for 'magical merit' of all things.

"I was then assigned keeping the sea lanes to eastern Seheron open, initially with a fleet of fifty ships." Lydia continued. "What followed was another two years of skirmishes, feints, traps, and counter-traps across the Boeric Ocean, until four years ago when I finally caught the Qunari Fleet in decisive battle. By then my fleet had been increased in size to two hundred ships, and I further reinforced it out of my own funds with fifty additional ships: mercenaries from Antiva and Rivain."

"Did you win?" Louise asked softly.

Lydia nodded. "Naturally…" she said, though her face fell afterwards. "…it was a hard battle though, out of two hundred and fifty ships only a hundred and fifty came back. It wasn't for nothing though: we managed to cut the Qunari lines of resupply and reinforcement from Par Vollen and Rivain to Seheron, allowing Magisters Tertianus and Lirani's Third and Seventh Armies to bring the East Seheron Campaign to a close. It was my fleet which launched the attack from the sea during the Siege of Seheron City, and I was part of the Triumph that greeted us on our return to Minrathous."

"I'm guessing that's how you gained the title of magister, wasn't it?" Louise asked.

Lydia nodded. "It was." She confirmed. What she didn't say was that she was the one who caught the Arishok as he tried to escape by sea, and led to his being paraded in chains through the streets of Minrathous in the Triumph. "For my contributions to victory, I was named magister by decree of Archon Radonis."

"How long ago was that?" Louise asked.

"Four years…" Lydia said. "…since then I've kept a low profile in the senate, usually involving myself only in military matters, and focusing on my duties as the praetor overseeing raids on the Qunari holdings in Rivain. It might not seem like much, but it keeps them from using Rivain as a base of operations for attacks on Thedas or Tevinter. If they want to attack it'll have to be from Par Vollen and that would greatly strain their logistics."

Louise fumbled, and then sighing looked rather downcast. "What's wrong?" Lydia asked.

"I'm jealous." Louise admitted. "You've achieved so much and I…"

"How old are you Louise?"

"Huh?"

"How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"And I'm thirty-nine." Lydia said with a shrug. "It's natural to be jealous, I have over twenty years of head start on you. But you're sixteen. You still have your whole life ahead of you, to distinguish yourself and attain achievements of your own. Do you understand?"

"Do you really think I can do it?" Louise asked with a small voice. Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"And who was it who pulled me and Sylvia through the Fade?" she asked, and Louise chuckled and nodded.

"I think I can understand." She said. "No, I understand. As you said, it's alright to be jealous of someone ahead of you. What isn't alright if you just keep being jealous, instead of trying to catch up with your own achievements, isn't that right?"

Lydia nodded. "See…?" she said. "You can do it after all. You can see the path to your destination, and now all you have to do is to follow it. And I'm sure you can do it. After all…"

Lydia grinned and winked. "You've done if before, haven't you?" she asked. Louise blinked, and then began to laugh. Lydia closed her eyes and joined her in laughter for the next several moments. "Just remember: as your master I'll be your guide, but only through the first stretch of the path. The rest is up to you."

"Yes, I understand."

Lydia smiled and nodded. "So…" she said. "…tell me about your family."

Louise thought for a moment. "Alright…" she said. "…but in return, won't you tell me about yours?"

"Cheeky brat…!" Lydia said, reaching forward to ruffle her hair to Louise's consternation. "Though, it's not unreasonable. Fine, but you go first."

Louise took a deep breath, and told Lydia of her childhood in the de la Valliere household. Her mother was stern but loving, her father and sisters doting and supportive. She wanted for nothing, and generally had a happy childhood.

All that changed when she began to be taught magic, and her inability to cast spells properly cast a shadow on her life.

That's not to say that she was ever mistreated, though her mother and eldest sister grew increasingly demanding on her, to demonstrate her talent and worth as member of the ducal de la Valliere lineage. It was why Louise was so adept at magical theory in the hopes that by understand _how_ magic worked she could finally use it properly.

It didn't work that way though, and both her mother and elder sister continued to grow demanding over the years, and more visible – especially in Eleanor's case – in their displeasure of Louise's inability to perform magic properly. "Don't get me wrong though." Louise said. "I don't blame or resent them for it. I want them to acknowledge me as much as they want me to succeed, and besides: I'm not blind. I can see it whenever they lecture me over my failures. They're afraid that I really am a blunt, and not for the family's sake. They're afraid _for_ me, and what _might_ happen if that were really the case."

Louise took a deep breath. "And I'll be able to end that fear soon enough." She said.

Lydia nodded her agreement, and then Louise turned to her. "What about you?" she asked. "What was your family like? Both of them…?"

Lydia chuckled. "The Rubricatus is my family in name only." She said. "I became one of them for diplomatic favours that strengthened their position in the senate. I told you this yesterday, didn't I?"

Louise nodded. "You also said earlier…" she said. "…that they only began to truly acknowledge you after that battle where you turned the tide with your magic…"

Lydia nodded. "Quite…" she said. She pulled her legs closer and wrapped her arms around them, a surprising gesture for someone as old as her. "…I first used magic when I was eight. It's ironic, that I earned recognition for my magic on the battlefield when I first used it to make a rose bush in the family gardens bloom. I thought it would make them happy. I thought it would make them smile. Father, mother, Eleanor and Cattleya…"

Lydia laughed bitterly. "They were horrified." She said. "I later learned that father had threatened the servants who saw what I did, that he would make them beg for death if they ever talked, while mother took me inside her chambers. I learned then, what happened to mages in Thedas. How we would be taken from our families, stripped of our names, bound in chains and kept at sword-point all our lives to obey every whim of the hypocrites of the Chantry."

Lydia shook her head and laughed again. "What happened after that?" Louise asked.

"They put out a story that I had grown ill." Lydia replied. "It wasn't too surprising, seeing as Cattleya was quite sickly so society assumed the same for me. Father bribed the family doctors to keep my secret, and seemingly superstitiously refused the assistance of the Orlesian Circles also to keep my secret. Mother and Eleanor took over most of my education, and in the few times I was shown to society, I had to make certain never to let my abilities show, and to always stay close to my family."

"But…?"

Lydia nodded. "A secret couldn't be kept forever." She said. "By the time I turned eleven, father had had to make more than a few examples, and mother was seething at the audacity of some of the family doctors. Apparently they were trying to blackmail us into increasing the bribes to keep my secret. I later learned that she had those doctors poisoned after I left for Tevinter."

Louise looked sadly at Lydia, who rested her chin on her knees. "The hardest was the morning before my departure." She said softly. "Mother and Cattleya wouldn't come out. If they did, it would cause a scene. I had to say goodbye in private, and the memory of my mother – the woman who led the Black Lancers into the bitterest battles and always led them out be it in victory or defeat – crying as she embraced me for the last time…I will never forget it. And I will never forgive."

"Magister…" Louise whispered. "…but didn't you say you could visit?"

Lydia laughed bitterly. "Only after I became magister." She said. "As an enchanter, I didn't dare risk my diplomatic immunity. The Templars could always abduct me and claim that I 'defected of my own free will'. Damn them…may they burn in Toth's flames for eternity, bound by the chains of Andoral, and stripped of the comfort of defiance by the silence of Dumat."

Silence fell between master and apprentice for several moments. "We kept in clandestine contact." Lydia eventually said. "Sometimes we would exchange letters every few months. Most of the time it was only one letter a year, and a few years not at all: once I was safe in Tevinter they finally allowed the secret to come out, and as expected scandal broke out. Only the intervention of then-Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons, mother's old friend and comrade, kept them from losing their lands and titles, and even then they were effectively expelled from the usurper's court save when the grand duke was in attendance."

Lydia sighed and shook her head. "When I became magister…" She said. "…and I was finally able to visit, father had been dead for six years. I couldn't attend the funeral, or see him on his deathbed. All I could do was to thank him for everything he'd done for me on his grave."

"And mother…?" Louise asked. "I mean, your mother…?"

"Mother still lives." Lydia said with a smile. "The day we met again, when we embraced each other after so many years…not even the bestowal ceremony of the rank of magister came close."

"I'm happy for you." Louise said. Lydia glanced at her and wiped at her eyes.

"Damn you…" she said good-naturedly. "…you made me cry. But, you're welcome."

Louise smiled, and Lydia smiled back, leaning back again against the tree trunk. "Eleanor…well Eleanor will be Eleanor." She said. "Are men here also afraid to come near her?"

Louise's expression and lack of words said it all, and Lydia laughed, with genuine mirth this time. "Yeah, that sounds like her." She said. "Eleanor is Duchess de la Valliere after father's death, though mother keeps the title of duchess for courtesy's sake. She's also Emperor Gaspard's advisor now, well one of them."

"And Cattleya…?"

"She almost died ten years ago." Lydia said to Louise's horror. "Childbirth…she stayed awake long enough to sign the legitimization documents, and then wouldn't wake up for the next two weeks. And even then she couldn't walk on her own for a month."

"She had a bastard?" Louise gasped.

"Count Edmond de la Fontaine is the heir to the de la Fontaine and de la Valliere titles and lands." Lydia said firmly. "As head of House de la Fontaine, Marquise Cattleya de la Fontaine had every right to legitimize her son, and to name him as her heir. And Eleanor has no children. I claim the courtesy title of marquise by birth, but legally I have no inheritance rights in Orlais, at least not over lands and titles."

"Sorry…" Louise said. "…it's just…hard to see sister Cattleya have a child with someone who she isn't married with."

"They might as well be." Lydia muttered, but then shook her head. "No, it's not my place to tell. Suffice to say that Cattleya is very happy, and that's all that really matters."

"Yes." Louise said with full conviction. "I agree."

The two mirror images shared a smile, and Louise leaned back on her arms. "Ah…" she sighed. "…this discussion's gotten really depressing."

"Life isn't all sunshine." Lydia remarked.

"Yes, I know." Louise said with a laugh. "Mother taught me that, along with the rule of steel. Do you know?"

"Yes." Lydia said with a smile. "Mother will be mother, it seems. Is she still Queen Tiger in this world?"

"Queen Tiger…?" Louise echoed, and then laughed at how apt it was. "No, no, she's the Heavy Wind here."

"Oh?" Lydia said as her smile grew wider. "I want to meet your family. It's going to prove interesting, no doubt about that."

Louise laughed again. "Oh it probably will be." She said but her smile faded as she thought about how such a meeting would go. But before she could think too much on it, a commotion some distance off caught their attention.

"What's that?"

* * *

A/N

And that's a rap!

Yes, this takes place several years after _Trespasser_ , hence a renewed war between Tevinter and the Qunari in Lydia's background. Gaspard is Emperor of Orlais, and no he's not Briala's puppet.

To be honest, I too am wondering how a meeting between the FoZ de la Vallieres and Magister Lydia would go. Any thoughts or suggestions…?


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 4

It all started out innocently, really.

Sylvia was walking down the hallway when her ears picked up the sound of glass tinkling against stone. Turning her head, she saw a glass vial rolling to a stop on the floor, apparently having fallen from one of three boys laughing and chatting as they walked along.

Sylvia swept up the vial, and after a brief inspection quickly strode after the boys to return the vial. She didn't know what it was, possibly perfume, medicine, or a reagent of some sort, but it wasn't like she would lose anything by doing the right thing and returning it. "You there, boy!" she said clearly as she approached.

The three boys jumped slightly at her words, and turning to face her flickers of fear crossed their faces briefly. " _Well…_ " Sylvia thought. " _…this is the first time someone has ever feared me for being, well, an Elf. Usually it's only because I'm a magister's retainer._ "

She held up the vial. "I assume this belongs to one of you." She said, and held it out.

One of the boys – a rather chubby blonde boy – leaned in to whisper something to the other blonde in the trio, and one she recognized as the one with the girl from the previous night. Sylvia suppressed the urge to snicker at the boy's clothes on closer glance. Most of it seemed serviceable, trousers and riding boots under a cloak, but the shirt…well, open frilled shirts were _sometimes_ attractive, especially among Antivans, but considering there wasn't much of a chest to show…

 _How utterly tasteless…_

"Ah yes…" the blonde boy said with a cough, trying to regain his composure. "…but I…I uh…you can have it if you want."

"Really…?" Sylvia asked blankly. This was rather…unexpected, if not more than a little suspicious. "What exactly is this?"

"It's perfume." The boy said with another cough before smiling at her, and pulling a rose out of nowhere. Sylvia was impressed. Even if his sense of fashion left much to be desired, he certainly had a winning smile. "Expensive perfume to be sure and well… I'd like to offer it to you as a gift."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well…" the boy said with a hint of drama. "…despite your being an Elf and I apologize if that causes offence, it's just that…Elves generally don't have much of a good reputation in these lands."

"I see." Sylvia said with a slow nod. "And the 'despite'…?"

The boy coughed again before giving a courtly bow. "My name is Guiche 'the Bronze' de Gramont." He introduced himself. "I apologize for judging you by generalization, and thank you for returning my dropped vial of perfume. As a token of apology, and in recognition of your beauty my lady, I'd like to offer it to you as a gift. Might I have your name, my lady?"

Sylvia snorted with amusement. So that's what it was. Well, this was most unexpected. Even if the Imperium was more…open-minded, about Elves than Thedas was – you wouldn't see Elves as nobles in Thedas whereas in the Imperium Elves could and did rise to high rank (even as high as _magister_ at times) – she usually wasn't the target of _that_ kind of attention, at least not by Humans.

 _By my fellow Elves yes, but that's only to be expected, and attention's dropped in recent years. I am thirty-five after all, well past marriageable age, at least as far as most people are concerned._

"My name…" Sylvia said with a flawless court curtsy marred only be her drab and utilitarian field wear. "…is Sylvia Hunters, sworn retainer to Her Excellency Lydia Rubricatus, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium. And I accept your gracious gift, my lord."

And then rising to her feet, Sylvia smiled with a mix of apology and amusement. "With that said…" she said. "…I would hazard that you are nearly twenty years my junior, Mister de Gramont. Perhaps it would be best if you focused your attentions on those closer to your age."

"You have a point, Lady Hunters." Guiche conceded. "With that said, I am honoured that you would accept my gift, and I take my leave."

Sylvia gave a small bow and Guiche and his friends quickly walked off after a reciprocated bow of their own. She stared after them for a while, and then regarded the vial in her hand. Rolling it around with her fingers for a while, she then strode off to find her lady.

Remembering that the students that Louise was among were supposed to be bonding with their familiars – or in Louise's case her new master – in the school courtyard, Sylvia made her way there with some help courtesy of questions to a passing servant. It took her only a few minutes to reach there, and spotting her lady and Louise sitting under a distant tree, Sylvia made to join them.

She paused for a moment though, and again inspected the vial in her hand. Assuming it was genuine – and certainly it wasn't unreasonable to assume that despite this realm's antipathy for her kind in general they wouldn't try and poison her and offend her lady in the process – the magister would probably inquire into the perfume's quality.

 _Let's try it out first, so I can answer at once later on._

Popping the vial open with a flick of her thumb, she dabbed a little of the perfume on her fingers. Raising it to her nose, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

 _Not bad at all…no, that's an understatement. This is very good perfume. Not too strong, but not weak either. And the scent it's…pleasant, and soothing even if I can't place what scent it is in the first place._

Replacing the vial's cover, Sylvia was about to slide it into one of her pockets when she felt someone approach. Glancing in the other person's direction, she saw a girl with elaborately-curled blonde hair approach with a stormy expression on her face.

 _What's this?_

"Might I be of assistance?" Sylvia asked politely.

"Just a question…" the girl began frostily before pointing at the vial Sylvia was holding. "…where did you get that?"

 _I have a bad feeling about this._

"It was a gift." Sylvia replied.

"A GIFT?" the girl thundered.

"Yes." Sylvia confirmed. "From one Mister Guiche de Gramont just recently…might I ask what your interest in this is?"

For a moment it looked as though the girl wouldn't deign to answer, but with a huff she dramatically pushed her curls back over her shoulders. "I am Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency." She said haughtily. "And _that_ is a perfume of _my_ making, which _I_ gave as a gift to _my_ fiancé, the same Guiche de Gramont that gave it to you."

This time Sylvia couldn't resist. She visibly winced and groaned aloud. "Maker, help me." She said. Her ears twitched as she filtered out the voices of the students around her and pinpointed out a specific voice. "Over here, Miss de Montmorency. I think it's best if you get your explanation from your fiancé in person."

"Hey wait up you…" Montmorency said, and then came to a halt as Sylvia stopped and pointed to an arbour where Guiche was sitting with a dark-haired girl (the same one from last night it seemed).

 _Maker help me, I've somehow been roped into troubles born of a man's infidelity._

"GUICHE…!" Montmorency roared as she swept towards the blonde boy who nearly jumped out of his skin in response. And again, as he found himself caught between his fiancée and the girl he'd been wooing, both demanding explanations he couldn't give.

" _Idiot…_ " Sylvia thought irritably. She smiled with holy satisfaction as the philanderer got what he deserved, resounding slaps echoing across the eerily-silent courtyard. Montmorency and the other girl – Katie apparently – stormed away, the former angry but fighting to keep her composure but the latter was crying her heart out. " _…poor girl…_ "

"YOU…!" Sylvia blinked and started as Guiche – his face red from the slaps he'd received – turned on her in instinctive rage. "You're responsible for this! Because of you, two ladies were humiliated…"

"Oh be silent you spineless fop." Sylvia retorted with a roll of her eyes. She continued, without giving an opening for the spluttering idiot to get a word in. "If anyone here is responsible for what just happened, it is _you_ for toying with the hearts of those two girls from earlier. Things simply reached their inevitable conclusion that is all."

 _One does not become a magister's retainer without_ _ **some**_ _skill in diplomacy._

"You…you…you dare to slander…to impugn my honour…" Guiche spluttered out before getting cut off by a laugh from the Elf.

"The only one here impugning on your honour is you, Mister de Gramont." Sylvia interrupted coolly. "Not only have you toyed with the hearts of two proper young ladies, you dishonoured your betrothed, attempt to unjustly foist responsibility for _your_ mistakes on a convenient scapegoat, who, need I remind you, was given _this_..."

Sylvia paused to hold up the vial of perfume.

"…by you yourself."

Agreeing nods and murmurs met the Elf's words, and she sighed and shook her head. "If I were you Mister de Gramont…" Sylvia said. "…I would reflect on your mistakes, and if you truly seek to redeem your honour, you would acknowledge them and take responsibility by apologizing to those who _you_ have wronged. I take my leave."

Sylvia gave a bow and turned to leave. The other students made way for her, though most held expressions of newfound respect on their faces. "Now wait just a minute you." Guiche spluttered. "I'm not finished with you. You think you can just talk to me like that and then walk away afterwards? Who do you think you are?"

Sylvia just ignored him, and continued to walk away. "Don't you dare walk away when I'm talking to you, Elf!" Guiche roared, whipping out his wand and conjuring a bronze golem.

Sylvia whirled as she felt the surge of magic behind her, and jumped back several steps as the golem slammed its fist into the ground where she'd been standing on just a moment ago. "Not very sporting, are you?" she asked as the rest of the students scattered.

"Silence…!" Guiche shouted with vengeful glee. "You might be an Elf, but I can see that you were probably an outcast among your kind, as shown by your lack of magic, and that…"

"If you're going to fight then fight…!" Sylvia snapped as she dodged blow after blow from the golem. "Don't talk about things you know nothing about!"

"Impudent…!"

The golem punched down, but Sylvia jumped up and over the golem, twisting in mid-air to face forward. Lyrium-engraved metal flashed as she drew her long-bladed dagger, and tore the construct apart as she landed in a crouch. "Not bad…" Guiche sneered. He gestured with his wand, and conjured more golems. "…let's even the odds shall we?"

"Even odds my arse." Sylvia snorted as the golems moved to surround her. "Still, it seems he's not completely stupid if he knows enough to surround an enemy to make the best of superior numbers."

"Humph…" Guiche gloated. "…I wonder if you're feeling regretful…"

"That's enough of that." A third voice cut in as a flicker of magic froze Guiche in place. At the same time, blue-white bolts lashed out to destroy the golems with destructive precision. Sylvia relaxed, rising to glance in her lady's direction, Louise standing behind Lydia with a mixed expression of derision (at Guiche) and awe (at Lydia). Lydia glanced at Sylvia who gave a small bow.

"Explain, now."

* * *

Lydia pinched the bridge of her nose as Sylvia finished explaining what had just happened. She looked around at the other students nearby. "Independent confirmation…?" she laconically asked.

"It's true milady." One of the students piped up. "Guiche gave your retainer Montmorency's perfume, she found out, confronted him about it, found him with Katie from the first years, she and Katie slapped him, he tried to blame your retainer, and when she defended herself – and rightly too – he tried to attack her from the back. If she wasn't as good as she was…"

The student trailed off, but the small craters on the ground from the golem's fists were proof enough. "He also said that she – your retainer – was an outcast since she couldn't use magic." Another student put in.

Louise snorted. "In other words…" she said with a derisive glance at the frozen Guiche. "…he tried to regain face or at least distract people from his humiliation by showing off and picking on a convenient target. Only, he forgot who and what exactly said convenient target was."

"It certainly seems that way." Lydia said irritably. With a gesture she removed the freezing spell, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Guiche fumbled and mumbled, but under the stern gaze of the magister he didn't dare say anything but the truth. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to say just that.

" _Huh…_ " Louise thought as she watched her master glare at Guiche. " _…she looks just like mother when she's warning you to stop whatever it is you're doing. I wonder…will I look like that when I'm older?_ "

Louise's musings broke off as Lydia began to speak. "If we were in the Imperium…" she said acidly. "…I'd have you cleaning toilets for a month – at least – for all the trouble you've caused today."

Guiche whimpered. "But we're not in the Imperium." Lydia concluded with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean I won't be seeing you punished for this."

She reached forward, and Guiche cowered, no doubt thinking she was going to strike him. Instead, she pulled on his ear, and ignoring his spluttered protests began to drag him away to the headmaster's office to the mocking laughter of his classmates. Louise shook her head. "Sorry about that." She said to Sylvia as they fell into step following after Lydia.

"What?"

"That Guiche was going to get into a fight or something sooner or later over his womanizing." Louise explained. "Sorry that you got involved."

"Thanks, but there's really no need." Sylvia said. "It's not like you're involved with him…are you?"

Louise scoffed, her cheeks touched with pink. "Of course not…" she said. "…he's not my type. And it didn't seem like he was interested in me at all at any time either. And besides…"

Sylvia glanced curiously at Louise. "I'm already betrothed." She said.

"Oh, congratulations are in order then. So who's the lucky man?"

"Viscount Wardes, Commander of the Griffin Knights."

"Griffins…?"

"You don't have griffins in your world?"

"We did…once…though I've heard the Grey Wardens were able to find some eggs a few years ago, and are trying to rebuild their flocks."

"Grey Wardens?" Louise asked curiously.

"It's an order that transcends race and borders." Sylvia said with a sad smile. "They are the shield and the spear against the Darkspawn hordes, and when need is most dire, theirs is the greatest sacrifice."

Louise blinked curiously, and Sylvia shook her head. "No…" she said. "…it's complicated. You should ask about the Grey Wardens some more when we have time and luxury to talk about long and wordy subjects."

Louise nodded, and dropped the matter.

* * *

"Please accept my profound apologies for this incident, magister." Headmaster Ormond said. "Rest assured, it will not happen again, and the one responsible will take responsibility for it."

Lydia nodded, and the headmaster turned an icy, disappointed glare in Guiche's direction. "Normally…" he said. "…I would think childish games of romance and love are to be indulged, but there's such a thing as setting some standards. And for that matter, knowing one's limits…Mister de Gramont, I expect you to provide written apologies to Magister Rubricatus, to Miss Hunters, and to Miss de Montmorency and Miss Katie for starters: I will also be informing your father about this incident, and consulting with Professor Colbert for appropriate punishment detail for you. I am very disappointed, Mister de Gramont."

Guiche, pale and shaking, bowed and mumbled an apologetic acknowledgement to the headmaster. Ormond sighed, and sent him away. "Perhaps…" he said. "…I was too indulgent."

"It happens, first enchanter." Lydia said. "For all our pride in our lineages, noble birth isn't a guarantee of good character."

Louise looked surprised and even outraged at that, but Osmond noticed and turned to her. "She is right, Miss de la Valliere." He said. "You know your history, so you would also know that for every example of true nobility, there are dozens of capricious, self-obsessed nobles who prove by their failings that just because one is born into the nobility, one isn't necessarily _noble per se_.

Louise still looked mutinous, but after a moment of thought she sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yes…" she said. "…I can't deny that. And I have visited court before, and overheard mother speak of other nobles in such a way before. I suppose I'm just…sympathetic, for Guiche."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Lydia remarked. "Just don't let it cloud your judgment. Indeed, don't let _anything_ cloud your judgment. If you do you might as well have _no_ judgment at all."

"Yes, I understand."

Osmond nodded in agreement. "Most wise…" he murmured, and stroked his beard.

Lydia nodded at him. "Well then…" she said. "…may we take our leave?"

"But of course…" Osmond said. "…today is supposed to be for bonding between mages and familiars, and in your and Louise's cases, getting to know each other."

Lydia bowed, and then left followed by Sylvia and Louise.

* * *

"So…" Louise began. This time they were back in the dining hall, sitting at a table with tea. Sylvia was with them, and while normally commoners like her wouldn't be allowed to sit there, she wasn't just another commoner either. "…how'd you two meet?"

"That is a very good question…" Lydia said before biting into a cookie. "…for Sylvia here that is."

Sylvia glanced at the magister in dismay and surprise, who just shrugged at her. "Alright…" Sylvia said. "…before we go into that, we need some context. First of all, my family is a traditional…vassal of the Rubricatus family. Not the only one of course, but well you get the idea."

Sylvia thought for a few moments. "There's another story behind that…" she said. "…Elves are ironically enough – given it was the Imperium which destroyed Elvhenan in the first place – better treated in the Imperium than in Thedas. In Thedas Elves are only fit to be second-class citizens, useful only for manual labour…or worse. In the Imperium, well there are Elven slaves, but there are also Human and Qunari slaves. Elven Soporati, Liberati, and Laetan are treated the same way as their Human or Dwarven counterparts. A few Elves have even risen to become magisters."

Louise nodded, and then something caught up to her. "Slaves…?" she echoed. "The Imperium practices slavery?"

"Yes." Lydia confirmed. "But that's a discussion for another time."

Louise opened her mouth to protest, that slavery was wrong, but decided against it. As the magister said, it was a discussion for another time, and it seemed to be a sensitive topic for the two Tevinters.

"Anyway…" Sylvia continued. "…something you must understand about Imperial slaves is, apart from publicly-owned slaves – who are usually capital criminals – slaves are allowed to earn their own keep, to supplement the support their owners are legally-obliged to provide them. And if they can save enough over time, they might even buy their freedom back. With me so far…?"

Louise nodded.

"Good…" Sylvia said with a nod of her own. "…my ancestor about four centuries ago was a slave owned by the Rubricatus family, and was occupied as a huntsman. He was good at what he did, and was mindful too, which was why he was favoured highly by the family. His wife was also a good tailor, and ran a small cottage business of her own in the slave district of Minrathous."

"Slave district…?"

"Slaves reside in public housing, unless their owners provide them with homes of their own. It's basic, but serviceable." Lydia added. "Slavery in the Imperium was originally a means to deal with prisoners taken during war, and to alleviate poverty. Rather than begging on the streets, one can sell one's freedom for support in exchange for rendered service."

"Anyway moving on…" Sylvia said. "…my ancestor's wife was able to earn enough to free herself and the rest of her family. However this posed a problem: if they became Liberati, they would have to move out of the slave district. The question then was could they afford to buy their own property, and to set up shop once again."

Lydia nodded. "That's a common problem with Liberati in the Imperium." She said. "Freedom isn't worth much if all it does is free you to starve or freeze on the streets. There are plenty of cases of slaves buying their freedom only to sell themselves back into slavery a few months or so later on."

"So how did your family cope?" Louise asked Sylvia.

"Apart from the question I mentioned…" Sylvia said. "…another question my ancestor's family faced – or rather realization – was even if they ceased to be slaves, they still weren't Imperial citizens. Liberati are allowed to own property yes, but they have limited rights, and are no better than foreigners in Imperial eyes. In fact, some slaves enjoy greater prestige than most Liberati."

"So…?"

"As I said my ancestor was good at what he did." Sylvia said with a shrug. "And he was favoured by the Rubricatus. My ancestor's family was granted Imperial citizenship after freeing itself, and the Rubricatus gave them a generous loan to set up shop with. In exchange our family bound itself to the Rubricatus. My ancestor continued to serve as the Rubricatus' chief huntsman, and his sons and their sons followed his example. Girl children were attached as companions to daughters of the Rubricatus, and upon reaching adulthood were either given good recommendations or became private retainers of their childhood companions."

"Ah…" Louise said with a slow nod. Everything made sense now. "…so that's how you two met?"

"Yes." Lydia said. "An eleven year-old girl alone and uncomfortable in her surroundings gained a friend in a…rather airheaded seven year-old Elf…"

"Airhead I might have been…" Sylvia interrupted with friendly heat. "…but if it wasn't for me your Orlesian perspective on Elves at the time would have gotten you a black mark early on. Remember Senior Enchanter Mirilia when you were twelve?"

"How can I forget?" Lydia said with an air of exasperation. "That was too close. Still, it wasn't one-sided. I daresay we both helped each other grow up."

"True enough…" Sylvia said with a laugh. Lydia joined in on the laughter.

"So…" Louise began. "…what happened after that? I assumed you joined the military too when the magister did?"

"Well she wasn't magister at the time, but yes." Sylvia said with a nod. "Though not the legions: I joined the scouting auxiliary. I left it when Lydia left for the first time, and then re-joined when she signed up again. Technically I hold the rank of captain in the auxilia, but the nature of the scouting auxiliary is…fluid, so despite being a captain I usually only command what would be seen as a _very_ understrength company for a legion."

"Well…you are scouts, so numbers aren't as important as they would normally be. I would think mobility is well, more important."

"Quite…" Sylvia agreed, and so did the magister.

"Childhood friends huh…" Louise murmured, and then shook her head. It wouldn't do to be jealous, after all, it wasn't like she was on poor terms with her own childhood friend. Though, she'd have to work really hard if they were to have a similar future relationship like between the magister and her friend. "…by the way, what were those terms you mentioned earlier?"

"Social classes in Tevinter…" Lydia answered. "…from top to bottom they are the Altus, the Laetan, the Soporati, the Liberati, and the slaves."

"And…the differences…?"

"The Altus and the Laetan are the mage classes…" Lydia said. "…the former are descendants of ancient dreamer mages who spoke with the Old Gods in their dreams in the Fade. The latter are simply mages."

"So nobility then…?"

"Not quite…" Lydia said. "…yes, you're noble-born if you're born into either the Altus or the Laetan, but as in Thedas the degree of nobility is based on title, your family's standing, and of course, your degree of influence. In the Imperium noble titles correspond to your rank in the Circles of Magi. Family standing…well, as a rule Altus have higher standing than Laetan, even adopted ones like me, though we usually have higher standards to meet than most Altus. Personal degree of influence…well, that's fairly self-explanatory, though it includes how important your Circle is, and in the case of the magisters, to what degree are you respected by your peers."

Louise nodded her understanding. It seemed fairly normal, if only using different means of measuring political and social power than she was used to. "Below the Altus and the Laetan would be what you would call the commoners." Lydia continued. "The Soporati are common citizens, but even they are divided into sub-classes. At the top of the Soporati are the Publicanii, composed of high-ranking civil servants and military officers. Below them are the rich merchants, followed by common citizens."

"And then there's the Liberati and the slaves." Louise concluded.

"Quite…" Lydia said with a nod. "…the Liberati are freemen, usually freed slaves, and ranked on par with foreigners minus the Dwarves."

"The Dwarves…?"

"The Dwarves have a special relationship and a long and friendly history with the Imperium." Sylvia put in. "This means that Dwarves alone are exempt from the slave trade, and that Dwarves despite being foreigners are held as equal to the Soporati. Shapers and Paragons are ranked among the Laetan, or at times – especially for the latter – among the Altus."

"I see."

"And finally we have the slaves, who are unofficially divided into their own sub-classes."

"Even slaves…?"

Lydia shrugged. "What can I say?" she said. "The Imperium has a thing for hierarchical organization. At the top of the slaves are the favoured slaves, followed by common slaves, and at the bottom are the public slaves. These are usually capital criminals: rapists, murderers, serial killers and the like. Unlike most slaves they aren't allowed to buy their freedom. In fact they'd hang or lose their heads if the courts didn't decide they'd be more useful atoning for their crimes for the rest of their lives with hard labour."

Louise nodded her understanding, her expression hard and any sympathy gone when she heard the word 'rapist'. While she still thought slavery was wrong, in the case of the last category, she decided death was too good for such people.

"So…" Lydia said while biting into another cookie. "…any more questions?"

* * *

A/N

First off, let me make this clear: I do not support slavery in any way, and it is a morally-abominable practice. With that said, the Tevinter Imperium being based on the Byzantine Empire to say nothing of the in-game lore means that slavery – and its citizens' support for it – isn't something that can be removed from the story, even if only mentioned in such passing terms. So, unfortunately I have to…justify it, from the Byzantine/Tevinter perspective. Don't forget too, that in _Dragon Age III_ , Dorian – one of the nicest Dragon Age characters – is fully behind the practice, and the same went for Roman and Byzantine scholars and historians among others.

Tiffania is a bit airheaded in canon, though she wised up through the series and manga both. Her Tevinter counterpart (I'm sure you've pretty much guessed that's who Sylvia is) has almost two decades of experience over her, so her being as astute in this chapter shouldn't come as a surprise. And no, she was never supposed to be a yes man/woman. She's a retainer, not a sycophant. A certain degree of competence is required.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 5

Louise le Blanc de la Valliere snored softly as she lay curled up in her sheets, warm and comforting against the cold of the early morning. So early in fact, that the Sun hadn't risen yet, with just the barest hint of light peeking out from the horizon, and certainly not enough to be seen through the windows.

A hand reached out in the dark silence of the girl's room, and gently shook the sleeping girl's arm. Louise murmured in her sleep, but didn't wake. Again, the hand shook her arm. This time Louise slipped awake, glancing at the woman the hand belonged to. And then she went back to sleep.

"Louise…Louise…" Magister Lydia Rubricatus said softly but insistently and shaking Louise again. "…it's time to wake up, come on."

Louise just grumbled incoherently, and pulled the covers over her head. "It's too early." She murmured. "The Sun hasn't even risen yet. Let me go back to sleep, Eleanor."

Lydia's eye twitched and Sylvia snickered at her expense. Lydia glanced at the Elf who shrugged. "Should I get some cold water, my lady?" Sylvia asked.

"No." Lydia said while flexing her fingers like a cat. "I'll take care of this."

Reaching out, Lydia gripped the covers and promptly dropped their temperature and the temperatures inside several degrees. The result was rather amusing to say the least. With a loud yelp of surprise and outrage Louise jerked awake, throwing the covers off and jumping up rather energetically and rubbing her arms. "THAT'S COLD!" she shrieked.

"Good morning." Lydia said cheerfully, and Louise glared at her. The glare died at the cheerful smile on the magister's face, Louise clearly struggling to keep back on a rude retort.

"Alright, alright, I'm up." She grumbled while looking for her slippers. She took a glance at her windows. "Honestly, why are we up so early in the morning? The Sun hasn't even risen yet."

Still grumbling, Louise walked over to her cabinet, and opening it began looking for new clothes. And then realizing something, she looked over her shoulder. "Excuse me, please?" she asked.

"Ah yes, my apologies…" Lydia said with a wave of her hand. "…we'll excuse ourselves for now. But you only need underwear. You should put these on instead of what you usually wear, that way you won't get your usual clothes or your uniform dirty. And don't bother with a bath that can wait."

While Lydia was talking Sylvia tossed a satchel of clothes at Louise. Catching the satchel, Louise glanced at it, and took a double-take. "But these are commoner clothes!" she whined in protest.

Lydia blinked and her smile faded. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, and Louise belatedly realized Lydia and Sylvia were both wearing the same set of clothes she'd been given: a drab-coloured, long-sleeved shirt belted over red trousers, and a pair of working shoes as opposed to the heavy boots they usually wore.

Louise quickly reconsidered her position. "But…they look good." She conceded.

"I thought so." Lydia said, her previous cheer returning. "We'll be waiting outside. Let's go Sylvia."

* * *

Sunlight streamed bright and warm over the campus, birds wheeling overhead with loud chirps as they looked for food. A small number of students and faculty (those awake this early) watched curiously along with a small number of staff (those with no pressing things to do) as a certain trio ran laps around the grounds.

"Come on Louise!" Lydia said encouragingly. "You can do it! We still have a couple of laps to go!"

"I…I…" Louise huffed and puffed, looking and sounding extremely stressed. Sweat was pouring off of her, soaking her clothes and tangling her hair. The same could be said for Lydia and Louise, though they weren't nearly sweating as bad, and didn't look bothered at all.

 _Next time I'm tying my hair back. Or cutting it short…no, I'll tie it back._

 _Assuming I get through this, that is!_

"I…I can't…I can't go on…"

Lydia shot Louise a blazing glare over a shoulder. "That's enough of that kind of talk!" she shouted in a commander's voice, the whip-like effect spiking through Louise. "Never, and I say NEVER talk or even **THINK** that you can't do or carry on with something! If you do, then you've already given up! Tell me Louise de la Valliere, are you a quitter or not?"

"N-no…"

"I asked if you were a quitter or not?"

"NO I AM NOT, MAGISTER!"

"Good! I didn't think you were! No apprentice of mine is a quitter!" Lydia said, turning to start a new lap. "Now let's get a move on! We've got two more laps to go!"

Still huffing and puffing, Louise forced herself to soldier on, the magister's words striking a nerve with her. She was not, never was, and never will be a quitter. For all her sister and mother's chiding and worrying, for all the veiled insults and insinuations of her peers, for all the names she had been called, she had never once given up on chasing her goals. Whether it was to make her family proud, to be a mage worth her title, or simply to be someone she could take pride in, she'd given her all and more.

She'd come this far. Finishing the next two laps of this torturous jog should be and was nothing by comparison.

Ignoring the fiery protests of her muscles and chest, the growing numbness in her feet, Louise forced herself to follow the pace set by her master, to keep up the jog step after step after step, to finish this lap and the next. Something of her determination must have shown to Sylvia, the veteran scout nodding encouragingly at her when the Elf glanced in her direction over a shoulder.

 _Just a few more steps…just a few more…and…YES!_

Finally, the last lap came to an end, Lydia and Sylvia letting out explosive breaths as they slowed to a stop. In contrast, Louise staggered to a halt, quickly collapsing with her hands on her knees as she breathed quickly and deeply. Again in contrast, Lydia and Sylvia's breaths were subdued and measured, and they managed to stay standing.

For a few moments, the trio just stood in silence, and then Lydia approached Louise. She sank down in a crouch and placed a hand on Louise's shoulder. "See?" Lydia asked. "You can do it after all. You finished all four laps, on top of all the gymnastics we did earlier."

Louise didn't answer, too focused as she was on catching her breath, drops of sweat falling in quick succession on the grass below. "You finished them, didn't you?" Lydia asked, and Louise glanced up in confusion.

"O-of course I did…I managed…" she gasped out, and Lydia grinned and nodded in response.

"And there you were earlier, saying you couldn't finish." She said. "Do you understand the lesson?"

Louise nodded quickly, and Lydia laughed. "Then keep that in mind, we'll be sticking to this routine." She said, and laughed again as Louise groaned in response. "Well, once you recover that is."

"Recover…?" Louise echoed in alarm. Lydia shrugged.

"No offence but you don't seem all that athletic to me." She said. "You'll probably have cramps tomorrow."

Louise groaned, but Lydia soon lifted her to a standing position by her shoulders. "Come on…" she said. "…let's get the cool-down exercises down. Along with the warm-ups earlier it'll reduce the cramps. Let go, come on now you've caught your breath."

Louise nodded, and proceeded to follow the stretches that were part of warm-up and cool-down exercises. It wasn't that she was…ignorant, of such exercises they just weren't part of her routine. Not anymore that is.

Her mother had taught her and Eleanor (Cattleya was exempt due to her frail physique) the basics of hand-to-hand and swordsmanship, and part of that included physical exercises. But that had been quite some time ago, and once their magical instruction had become paramount physical exercise had quietly slipped out of their routine.

Louise certainly didn't keep it up in the Academy.

She wrinkled her nose at the thought that they – her schoolmates and classmates both – might make fun of her for her exertions this morning, but she shrugged the thought off. If they had any problem with what she was doing, she'd just palm them off to her master. That might prove amusing to watch.

Though…she wondered what was the point of all this. The lesson at not giving up was understood so why…ah, so that's what it was. Constant reinforcement…? It certainly made sense, especially seeing as apprenticeship traditionally ended with mastery.

And that was far above what was expected from the Academy. The lessons would be more complex, demanding, and difficult. Perhaps enough even to have lesser apprentices quit, but Louise was no lesser apprentice.

She'd face any and all challenges that presented themselves, and put everything she had into overcoming them. She'd endure and grow stronger for it.

Lydia took a deep breath as they finished. "We'll have ample time for a bath it seems." She said, looking up at the Sun. "What do you think Sylvia?"

The Elf looked up at the Sun. "I think so too, magister." She said. "If we soak too long though, we might get a bit late for breakfast."

"Then let's keep that in mind." Lydia said. "Come on Louise."

Louise nodded and joined the older women as they made their way to the baths. As they walked along, Louise took note of their clothes. "Where'd you get this so soon?" she asked. "The clothes I mean."

"The help was very helpful in that regard." Sylvia answered. "A sovereign was certainly worth getting these done overnight."

" _With that said…_ " Lydia said, speaking in Tevene (or as Louise knew it, Romalian). " _...what little money we have isn't going to last long. Even if it's just one sovereign, we have to replace it, and more importantly, find a way to get ourselves relatively-solvent._ "

" _Please leave that to me, magister._ " Sylvia said. " _Rest assured, I'll find a way, and without causing any trouble along the way._ "

Lydia nodded, and then glanced at Louise behind them. "Just some private business…" she said with a smile. "…it's nothing to worry about."

"If you say so…" Louise said, deciding not to poke into her master's personal business. "…I'm more worried about there still being hot water in the baths."

"Point…" Lydia conceded. "…well if there isn't, we'll just use magic. Oh yes, that reminds me: Louise if you get any cramps, don't have it treated it with magic."

"Huh?"

"It's better to just let your body fix itself on its own in this case." Lydia said. "Understand…?"

Louise fumbled for a moment and then sighed in resignation. She didn't quite understand, but as an apprentice she was obliged to trust in her master's better judgment, even if she didn't understand the reasoning behind it at the time. "Yes, I understand." She said.

* * *

"Louise…!"

"Not again…" Louise groaned as she heard the singsong voice, and grumpily glanced as the tanned and busty Germanian exuberantly sat down beside her. "…Kirche, what are you doing here?"

"Aw, and good morning to you too, Louise…" Kirche said with a grin. "…I was just trying to be friendly, sitting with you and chatting with you like this."

"Fine…" Louise grumbled. "…then, good morning Kirche. So, what do you want to chat about?"

"A little birdy told me something interesting earlier." Kirche said. "Something about your new master and her retainer taking you off on a jog before breakfast…"

"What about it?" Louise asked back. "Yeah, she took me on a jog. And some gymnastics before that…I'm not sure what it's got to do with magic, but it's not my place to question my master's teachings. I'll figure out why they're so important sooner or later anyway."

"Fair enough…" Kirche conceded. "…though I might have an idea what it's for."

"Oh?"

Kirche grinned at Louise's response. "Caught your interest, did I now?" she asked. "Alright, it's rather obvious when you think about. She's trying to build up your stamina, and probably to test both your mental and physical endurance. Some spells – especially the more complicated ones – are rather taxing you know."

Kirche shrugged. "Of course I could be wrong." She said. "I'm just a student, not a fully-trained mage like your master is. She could have something else in mind."

"I see." Louise said. She thought back to the lesson from earlier, though if so then the conversation would Kirche was rather wasted as she already knew what the other girl had said. But then again…Kirche did have a point. There could be more to it than either Kirche or Louise knew.

Louise was about to say something when Sylvia appeared. The blonde Elf leaned slightly with a polite nod at Louise's classmates. "Louise…" she said. "…Magister Rubricatus said to attend your non-magical classes for the day, but you can have the time normally spent on magical classes as your own to spend. Apart from that, meet us outside after classes end, at the same spot from earlier. Alright…?"

Louise blinked but then nodded. "Alright…" she said. "…I got it."

"Alright then…"the Elf said. "…well then I take my leave."

* * *

"My lady…" Sylvia said. The blonde Elf was accompanied by a Human maidservant with short-cut hair, bringing her at the request of the magister. Lydia for her part was in a room set aside for her, books and scrolls piled neatly at a desk while she studied a spell diagram to one side. "…as requested, I've brought a maid. She's quite competent at what she does both according to her and the rest of the staff."

Lydia glanced at the maid in question, turning away from her beginnings on researching the familiar summoning spell. The maid gave a polite curtsy. "Young aren't you…?" Lydia asked.

"Yes, I am seventeen years-old, milady." The maid replied.

Sylvia coughed, and Lydia glanced at her. "With respect my lady…" the Elf said. "…and I apologize for assuming, but her young age could be useful in the task you wish for her to fulfil."

Lydia met Sylvia's eyes, the Elf refusing to break eye contact. Several moments passed, and then Lydia smiled and chuckled. "Uppity as always…" she said. "…always poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Sylvia bowed, and Lydia shrugged. "Well it so happens you're right." She said. "The girl's age should make it easier for them to get along…eventually. I remember when I was at that age."

Lydia paused and glanced at the maid. "What's your name girl?" she asked.

"My name is Siesta, my lady." Siesta said with another bow.

"You are good at what you do?"

"Well I can clean and wash, iron and fold clothes, and while I can't cook a feast I believe I have some skill in the kitchen…"

"Cooking skills while commendable aren't necessary." Lydia interrupted. "However other chores such as washing, ironing, and folding clothes, cleaning and arranging rooms and bedding, and the like…?"

"I am confident in my skills in those areas, my lady." Siesta said after a deep breath.

"Good…" Lydia said approvingly. "…your confidence is good. Next question: are you confident enough to pass those skills onto another person?"

Siesta began to have a sinking feeling what they were going to ask her to do. Even if Sylvia hadn't told her about Louise de la Valliere's apprenticeship to the magister, it had already begun to filter down the rumour vine. And there was the scene from early this morning.

 _I've seen this before, with the blacksmith's apprentices back home. Scut work to teach them humility, responsibility, and discipline…and from the look and sound of things, it's going to be the same for Miss de la Valliere._

 _And somehow I've gotten roped into it. But, it's not like I can refuse can I now?_

"I'll do what I can, my lady." Siesta said with a curtsy. Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at Siesta in the eyes, and while the maid swallowed dryly and fidgeted a little she didn't break the magister's gaze.

"An acceptable response…" Lydia eventually said. "…very well, you'll do. You can return to your other duties, Sylvia will call on you later on. Sylvia, show her out please."

Sylvia bowed, and holding out an arm gestured for Siesta to follow. The maid bowed and walked with the Elf to the door, Sylvia holding it open and allowing the maid to leave. She turned back to the magister and after a moment walked closer. "We used to be so young." Sylvia remarked.

"Ha!" Lydia barked. "What are you saying, we got old?"

"Well we're a pair of old maids aren't we?" Sylvia replied, sharing a laugh with her lady. "Though, we look awfully young for women in their mid to late-thirties."

"Ah, the wonders of magic…" Lydia said cheerfully. "…those crones in Val Royeaux would probably kill to get their hands on what we're capable of. I mean, we aren't immortal, but we sure as hell can delay the passage of time to an extent. Grand Cleric Selene of Marnas Pell is what, seventy-three or so? And she only looks to be in her fifties."

"That assumes they can look past the walls of their narrow-minded hypocrisy and bigotry." Sylvia said, and again they shared a laugh.

"True, true…" Lydia said, and then she sighed. "…do you really think they'll get along?"

"They'll probably clash at first." Sylvia said. "Louise is, well, Louise de la Valliere. I remember how you used to be. But eventually her frustration will boil over, and she'll have to ask for help. That's a step in the right direction."

Lydia chuckled. "I just needed someone to teach her not to look down any more than is necessary." She said. "And then you go and try and repeat history. You really are an uppity brat, as always."

Sylvia shrugged. "I won't deny it." She said with a smile. "Though, it seems you've forgotten something."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I'm _your_ cheeky brat, that's what."

Lydia looked at her with mock outrage before dissolving into laughter, Sylvia joining in shortly after.

* * *

The Sun was approaching the horizon when Louise arrived at the appointed rendezvous. As expected, the magister and her retainer were waiting for her, along with one other person: a maid, who bowed at Louise as she approached. There was something large and somewhat round-shaped at the maid's feet.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it, as Lydia nodded at her to approach. Unlike this morning, where she and her retainer had worn a red, long-sleeved shirt belted over red trousers and working shoes at breakfast, the magister and the Elf were once again wearing their usual attire. The only difference was that they appeared to be freshly-washed.

"Ah good, you've arrived." Lydia said, and proceeded to take off her cloak. Underneath she wore a black, button down coat belted over black trousers tucked into knee boots. And then she took off the coat, exposing the red long-sleeved, collared shirt she wore underneath.

"That's a different shirt from what you were wearing this morning." Louise observed. "That one didn't have a collar."

"Observant of you…" Lydia commented with approval, and then handed Louise a training sword. "…this one came with me from Tevinter. Now let us begin."

Lydia drew a training sword of her own, and while Louise did likewise she wondered inwardly what this had to do with magic. She stepped into a high guard, and Lydia nodded her approval.

"A high guard…" she observed, before launching a series of strikes that Louise parried with some difficulty. "…a wise decision, though won't you tell me why you favour it over the low guard?"

"The Romalians call it _La Posta di Falcone_." Louise said while continuing to defend herself against Lydia's attacks. "It's meant for use against heavily-armoured enemies or mounted ones, with a focus on switching quickly as needed between high and neutral guards."

" _La Posta di Falcone_...?" Lydia echoed. "Interesting…wonders will never cease, it seems."

"Let me guess, it exists in the Imperium too?" Louise said while breaking off.

"You are correct." Lydia said. "Did your mother teach it to you?"

"Yes, did yours?"

Lydia grinned before attacking, Louise backing down step by step before rolling out of the way of a blow aimed at her side. Lydia turned to see Louise breathing heavily while holding her sword in a neutral guard. "This style leaves the lower body exposed." the magister said. "It focuses on protecting the upper body, critical when it comes to facing mounted foes, but what about the exposed sections?"

"You just have to keep your eyes and reflexes sharp." Louise said.

"Well said…" Lydia agreed before attacking again. "…and of course, striking from a high guard means more power when delivering an up-down slashing counterattack. However an enemy can simply block with an upward parry, potentially negating this advantage."

"That's meaningless." Louise said. "An up-down slash from a high guard would still have more power than a down-up slash from a low guard, unless the difference in muscle strength is badly out of proportion."

Lydia nodded in approval, and then feinting tripped Louise. She fell with a yelp and rolling over found herself at sword-point. "You lose." Lydia said, and Louise grumbled. Lydia just laughed and offered a hand to help her apprentice up.

Louise took it only to find herself pulled in close and with her throat at a sword's edge. "You lose again." Lydia said before shoving the outraged Louise away.

"Y-you cheated!" she exploded, and Lydia shrugged.

"So I did." She admitted. "And while it's inadmissible at a duel do you really think all fighting is going to be honourable duels between lords and ladies?"

Louise opened her mouth to retort, but closed it just as quickly. "Exactly…" Lydia said with a nod. "…not all the enemies you're going to be facing will fight with honour."

"So I should fight like them, is that it?"

"Would you rather be dead?"

Louise grimaced at the thought. "I understand." She said.

Lydia nodded. "Good, now let us continue." She said. The fought some more for several moments, and then Louise asked a question.

"What's this got to do with magic anyway?" she asked.

Lydia responded with a stabbing slash that surprised Louise, forcing her sword up and around and then away. And again, Louise found herself at sword-point. "Don't get distracted." Lydia said. "It could be fatal."

"Yes." Louise said, and Lydia smiled before lowering her sword.

"Let's take a break then, while I answer your question."

Louis nodded, and gratefully took a seat at a nearby stool, Lydia doing likewise. Sylvia provided them with water, and after a drink Lydia began to explain. "Magic is not all-powerful." The magister began. "If that were the case, then there'd be no need for ordinary soldiers. All we'd need are a handful of mages, and yet that is clearly not the case is it?"

Louise nodded, conceding the point. "Not all enemies you will encounter can be defeated by magic alone." Lydia continued. "Some of them have to be defeated with strength of arm and fighting skill and spirit, and so you'll need to be adept with the blade and the fist."

"So you'll be teaching me to fight unarmed too?"

"Not me…" Lydia said. "…Sylvia's much more skilled at unarmed combat than I am. But today it'll just be swordsmanship. Now magic, no, this apprenticeship isn't just about teaching you to fight but it is part of it. War and peace are two sides of the same coin, and you might get involved in both. So I'll be rather remiss as your master if I didn't teach you how to be adept with the blade along with the mind. Understand…?"

Louise nodded, and the magister fell silent for the next several moments.

"Now then…" Lydia said while getting to her feet. "…shall we continue?"

Louise nodded, and picked up her sword. They continued to practice until the Sun began to set, the burning colour of the afternoon sky giving way to the soft pastels of dusk. "That should be enough for now." Lydia told the panting Louise, who collapsed to sink to the ground. "You'll probably be hurting tomorrow, so we won't be practicing like this for a few more days at least."

"Thanks…" Louise said with a groan. "…though I'm beginning to hurt right now. I don't blame you though. I understand now, those exercises are meant to build up my stamina, no?"

"Clever girl…" Lydia said with a laugh. "…now then, one more thing before we call it a day. Siesta…?"

The maid bowed and stooping pulled off the cover to reveal Louise's laundry basket. Louise glanced at it with surprise. "This is Siesta." Lydia said, and the maid bowed at Louise. "Now, I won't ask you to wash tonight, but after dinner I do want you to watch her as she washes your clothes."

Louise began to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd read about how apprentices would be tasked with manual labour by their masters for 'edification' purposes, but she never thought it would happen to her.

 _Please tell me…no, no, no, no, no!_

"And tomorrow morning, Siesta here will show you how to clean your own room." Lydia continued cheerfully and obliviously. "And starting tomorrow evening you'll be washing your own clothes and fixing your own room the morning after tomorrow, and Siesta will make sure you're doing it right."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEH…?"

* * *

A/N

Welcome to boot camp, Louise.

Feel free to guess the film references in this chapter.


End file.
